The author is a veteran investigative journalist who produces the Substack newsletter Seeking Rents, covering Florida politics and policies. This story was first published on June 14, 2026 and is reprinted here with permission.

FIRST OF THREE STORIES

By JASON GARCIA

Cities, counties and towns across Florida could lose close to a quarter of their annual property tax collections, if voters approve a state-backed ballot measure this fall that would cut and cap local property taxes.

That’s according to a new analysis by the state’s Revenue Estimating Conference—also known as the REC—a panel of nonpartisan economists tasked with forecasting the financial impacts of proposed legislation.

It’s the first full analysis of the seismic property tax plan that Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature rushed to pass during a 28-hour special session earlier this month.

The proposed constitutional amendment—which will only take effect if at least 60 percent of Florida voters support it in a statewide referendum in November—was conceived so quickly and with so little input from anyone outside the inner circles of Tallahassee leadership that even legislators who voted for the plan gave contradictory explanations of how it would actually work.

The REC analysis—which, to be very clear, should have been done before state lawmakers voted on this—found that the proposal would quickly lop off more than $8 billion a year in funding for local governments by supersizing a tax break for primary homeowners.

That provision, which would be phased in over two years, would generally increase the state’s homestead tax exemption from $50,000 to $250,000 — meaning, for example, that the owner of a $750,000 home would pay taxes to their local city or county government as if their home were worth only $500,000.

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But the local revenue losses would widen rapidly from there—thanks largely to a second tax break that would suppress the annual tax bills for all other property owners, too.

That piece of the package would further restrict the year-to-year growth in tax assessments on all non-homestead property—everything from a New York couple’s vacation condo in Miami Beach to the Walt Disney Co.’s Magic Kingdom theme park.

Florida already caps increases to the annual tax assessments on non-homestead property at no more than 10 percent a year, the result of Big Business-backed constitutional amendments that passed in 2008 and 2018.

This new proposal would lower that ceiling even further so that the assessed value of non-homestead property could climb by no more than 5 percent a year—no matter how much the actual market value of the property rises.

In fact, one of the most striking findings from the REC’s analysis is just how quickly that tighter tax cap would compound, as the gap between what a piece of non-homestead property is worth and what it is taxed at steadily widens over time.

Local government revenue losses just from the non-homestead tax cap would swell more than six-fold over the first five years it is in effect — from around $350 million to more than $2.2 billion. And the tax differentials would keep on stacking up over time.

Altogether, the REC estimates that the combined package—the $250,000 homestead exemption plus the 5 percent annual non-homestead assessment cap—would wipe out nearly $12 billion in annual funding for local governments by the 2031-32 fiscal year.

And that does not include other not-yet-calculable impacts from the proposed constitutional amendment, which would, among other things, make it possible to continue increasing the homestead exemption — all the way up to 100 percent — without another statewide referendum.

For perspective: $12 billion would be somewhere in the ballpark of 24 percent of total local government property tax collections, based on the REC’s property tax growth forecasts and a bit of back-of-the-napkin math by Seeking Rents.

That’s an almost-unfathomable hit to local governments that pay for police, fire, parks, roads, sidewalks, stormwater drains, sewage plants, libraries, animal shelters, trash collection, summer camps and so much more.

Cities, counties and towns would have to make that money up somehow—through some inevitable combination of cutting public services, raising property tax rates, and charging new taxes and fees.

To understand how painful that process would be: Recall that the Florida House of Representatives last year proposed cutting the statewide sales tax from 6 percent to 5.25 percent. That three-quarters-of-a-point cut to sales tax would have reduced the state’s general revenue — the flexible pot of money that legislators are free to spend however they want — by about 10 percent.

And the Florida Legislature absolutely fell apart over it.

What was supposed to be a 60-day session dragged for more than 100 days as House and Senate leaders in Tallahassee proved utterly incapable of completing a state budget with that big a hole in the middle of it. They clashed over what existing programs to slash and which new projects to leave unfunded—and ultimately abandoned the sales tax cut entirely. The Florida Capitol has been basically dysfunctional for two years now, in large part because of the animosity that developed during that budget fight.

In other words, Republican legislators in Tallahassee could not handle even a 10 percent cut to their general revenue.

But, of course, they have no problems tossing an even bigger budget grenade into the laps of local governments.

Tomorrow: An author writing for the Florida Trident sees the tax referendum as a means to strip cities and towns of their power to govern. Thursday: Clay News and Views’ own Susan Armstrong says Clay County citizens are hurting and local governments have proven that they cannot be trusted to cut their own budgets.

Dozens of Clay County residents packed the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) chambers Monday night, delivering an overwhelming message to their elected officials: keep data centers out of Clay County.

The June 9th meeting drew one of its largest crowds in recent memory as the board held the first of two required public hearings on a proposed 12-month moratorium that would halt any applications for data center facilities in unincorporated Clay County while staff studies potential impacts. A final vote is scheduled for the June 23rd meeting.

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No application for a data center is currently before the county, and commissioners acknowledged that no developer has approached the county with such a proposal. The moratorium was initiated preemptively, driven in part by what one commissioner called a glaring gap in the county’s land development code, which currently has no regulatory framework for data centers.

“Our land development code is completely silent on this,” said Commissioner Betsy Condon, who originally proposed the moratorium. “We’re trying to address some of those things before they become issues.”

A Room Full of Opposition

Speaker after speaker approached the podium to urge the board to pass — and in some cases extend or make permanent — restrictions on data centers. Concerns centered on three main issues: water, electricity, and the character of Clay County itself.

Bruce Reynolds, a retired environmental protection specialist from Green Cove Springs, offered some of the most detailed testimony of the night. Clay County, he said, currently uses roughly 30 million gallons of water per day, and a single data center can consume anywhere from 500,000 to 5 million gallons per day — with large AI training hubs drawing even more. He pointed to a $20.5 million class action settlement reached in March against Amazon Data Services over alleged nitrate groundwater contamination in Georgia as a warning sign.

“It is a real challenge to try to distinguish between what is supported by engineering and environmental science, and what is primarily marketing messaging — science versus sales pitch,” Reynolds said. “To me, a moratorium makes great sense.”

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Valeria Weaver, a Green Cove Springs mother who said she took paid time off to attend the meeting, drew some of the night’s largest applause, which the chair had to repeatedly remind the audience was against meeting rules.

“I stand politically conservative Republican, and I say that not to bring politics into this,” Weaver said, “but there’s a lot of people here and we might vote differently, we might believe different things, but there’s a lot of us that stand on the same ground when it comes to this topic.”

She also noted that Jackson County commissioners had voted that very day to permanently ban AI data centers. “If they can do it, you guys can do it,” she said. “Stand for us. We’re all neighbors.”

Nicole Eaton of Orange Park urged the board to use the moratorium period to write permanent regulations “so protective that data centers look elsewhere,” citing Florida Senate Bill 44 — recently signed by Gov. DeSantis — as a law affirming that local governments retain full authority over zoning and land use decisions related to data centers.

One resident offered a pointed challenge to the board on the question of priorities during drought season: “Data centers pull the most water on hot summer days during seasonal droughts when the aquifer drops in July,” she said. “Who gets priority? The servers or the people?”

Not everyone was opposed. Marcia Garcia of Green Cove Springs made a case for keeping the door open. “I think it’s important to resist the temptation to oppose data centers just because it has become fashionable in the last few months to oppose them,” she said. She argued that the moratorium should be modified to allow applications to be submitted and reviewed, so the county could learn which types of facilities might actually seek to locate there.

Bruce Jackson, a Jacksonville-based data center industry veteran who said he has been attending Nassau County’s parallel workshops on the issue, pushed back on what he called outdated assumptions about water use. Modern AI-oriented data centers, he argued, use closed-loop cooling systems similar to a car radiator — dramatically more efficient than the older evaporative cooling systems most critics were referencing.

He also cited Loudoun County, Virginia, which collected $749 million from data centers last year, 45 percent of its entire general revenue fund.

Commissioners Split

The board, which will cast a binding vote on June 23rd, offered a preview of where members stand — and the picture is not unanimous.

Commissioner John Sgromolo came down firmly on the side of skepticism. Citing Clay County voters’ overwhelming passage of a conservation tax amendment—“at over 70%, which in an election is wild” — he said the public’s environmental values were already well established. He asked the county attorney to research whether a full ban on data centers, similar to what Jackson County passed, would be legally permissible in Florida.

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” he said. “In terms of the juice not being worth the squeeze — in my opinion, with these data centers, it’s just not. There are way too many unknowns.”

Betsy Condon, the commissioner who introduced the moratorium, also signaled her support, describing water as her primary concern and noting that she lives in the recharge area of the Florida aquifer. She said she had been following Nassau County’s data center workshops closely and emphasized that a city in Mesa, Arizona, that had eagerly welcomed a data center, “said if they had it to do over again, they would never do it.”

Curiously, BOCC Chair Kristen Burke offered no comments or opinions on data centers during the meeting.

The most vocal dissent came from Commissioner Alexandra Compere, who argued the board could not afford to take a year off from the conversation, given Clay County’s financial position.

“We quite literally do not have 12 months,” she said, citing a $50 million budget deficit the board had discussed in a morning workshop. She pointed to rising unemployment in Clay County, now over 4% and climbing, and argued that the tax revenues generated by data centers in comparable counties in Virginia and Georgia were too significant to dismiss. Loudoun County, Virginia, she noted, collected $900 million from data centers last year — nearly matching its entire operating budget.

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Compere also claimed that Clay County already has at least one data center within its borders, though she did not identify it, arguing it would be misleading for the board to treat data centers as entirely foreign to the county. Clay News & Views was not able to find any evidence of a data center currently operating in the county.

“There are good data centers and bad data centers,” she said. “And frankly, 12 months in this industry — asking for 12 months before changes that can help the infrastructure of a county — we don’t have 12 months.”

She stopped short of saying she would vote against the moratorium, and invited residents who wanted to change her mind to contact her directly.

Jim Renninger took a more pragmatic middle position, framing the issue in terms of national security and technological inevitability. “AI is going to rule the world for the future,” he said. “You’re going to use a data center — it just may be in China. Do you want your data stored in a Chinese storage facility?” He said the board was “taking a measured approach.”

Renninger also did not mince words when the topic of kickbacks came up, after one resident alleged online that commissioners were being paid off. “If you were to accuse me of taking kickbacks, I want to refer you to Sheriff Cook,” he said flatly. “That’s illegal, and I resent that wholeheartedly. I’ve spent my life representing the public.”

The board will hold the second and final public hearing on the moratorium ordinance at its June 23rd meeting, where a vote is expected. If approved, the moratorium would freeze all data center applications for one year while county staff develops regulatory standards and brings recommendations back to the board.

Christopher Suarez, a teacher at Ridgeview High School, has been placed on administrative leave after being arrested and accused of sending sexually explicit messages and pictures to a student.

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Per the arrest affidavit filed for his criminal case, Suarez attempted to take his own life by slitting his wrists after being contacted by Clay County Sheriff’s office personnel.

Suarez was treated for his injuries and later booked into the Clay County jail.

Suarez is listed as an “Industrial Education Teacher” in the staff directory for Ridgeview High School. He lists “HVAC Teacher” as his profession on social media and is a Marine veteran.

Suarez has no prior criminal record in Clay County, aside from a handful of traffic infractions. He is officially charged with six counts of “Distributing Obscene Material Harmful to a Minor” and one count of “Use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.”

Suarez has been officially declared indigent by the court system and has been appointed a public attorney. His bond is currently set to $525,021, and his next court appearance is scheduled for July 7th, 2026.

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Heather Boucher will no longer be the County Commission Auditor as of July 1st, 2026. Her resignation was submitted via a letter and comes on the heels of a tumultuous few weeks for Boucher.

Earlier in May, Boucher began behind-the-scenes conversations with each County Commissioner and demanded a $44,000 pay raise.

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Bocuher later admitted at a County Commissioner meeting that she threatened to quit if her demands weren’t met.

It was later discovered that Boucher’s official job responsibilities were redundant, as the Comptroller’s Office was responsible for auditing the Commissioner’s budget per the Florida Constitution.

And even as the extra responsibilities were thrown Boucher’s way, it was clear to many in the county that she was not very busy.

Now that the position will be vacant and is likely redundant, the Commissioners have the opportunity to save taxpayers $191,000 per year by not hiring for the position moving forward.

The Board of County Commissioners next meeting is June 9th at 4:00 pm.

The County Commission Auditor, Heather Boucher, believes that she is not being fairly compensated. She is so unhappy with her pay that earlier this month she threatened to quit unless she was given a substantial raise.

But closer inspection reveals that she is filling a vaguely defined role that may very well be unnecessary.

Heather Boucher has worked for the Clay County government since 2021. As the County Commission auditor, she started at a yearly salary of $91,000. She now makes $114,240, which is an increase of 26 percent over five years. Not bad for government work, and great considering not many other county employees have been afforded the same luxury.

But her annual salary doesn’t tell the whole story. The county also pays a hefty sum into two separate retirement accounts for Boucher, as well as health, dental, and life insurance. Boucher’s total compensation cost to the taxpayers is $190,768.

The average salary of an employee for the Clay County Government is $55,000. Boucher receives $48,032 in yearly county contributions to two retirement accounts.

Boucher’s retirement contributions alone are close to the average county employee pay, and $10,000 more than the current county commissioners’ salary.

If Boucher’s request is granted and her pay is bumped to $165k, her retirement contributions would also increase as they are a percentage of her base pay. This would bring the county’s total cost for the auditor position to over a quarter of a million dollars—$264,000 a year.

But in the weeks since Boucher’s ultimatum, people inside and outside the county government have begun to question what work Boucher actually does.

Per the Florida Constitution, auditing of county government falls under the purview of the Office of the Comptroller. Clay is a Charter County, and the charter specifies that an auditor position must exist, even though it is redundant. The job description also specifies that the person filling the role must be a CPA, which Boucher is not.

Given that most of the official functions of auditing the county can’t be done by the position Boucher holds, what does she actually do?

Per a list provided by Boucher to the County Commissioners, she is responsible for a variety of duties:

1. DOGE’ing the county and all of its departments.

2. Responding to audits, both external and from other agencies like FEMA, FDOT, etc.

3. County AI implementation—policy implementation and oversight

4. Staff turnover reduction.

5. Green Cove Springs Community Redevelopment Agency. Boucher is the chairwoman

6. Strategic Plan reporting validation

Looking closely at these, you might notice that only one of the six has much to do with auditing. So, how much work do the items on the list really entail?

DOGE

In general, Clay County hasn’t done much cutting of “excess” from its budget. The biggest savings have purportedly come from consolidating high-level positions as employees left or retired. Nearly $1 million in savings have been gained via position consolidation, but there’s no evidence that Boucher or any other auditor played a role in making those savings a reality.

Given that the position of commission auditor is redundant, as the official responsibilities now fall under the comptroller, the best way for the auditor role to contribute to money-saving efforts is to eliminate it.

Per the county charter, the position can’t be officially eliminated, but the county can choose not to fill it. This would lead to $190,000 in annual savings.

Responding to Audits

Simply put, the Commission auditor does not have the authority to respond to external audits on the County's behalf. Nowhere in the job description, county charter, or state statute is that role given to the auditor.

A response on behalf of the county would traditionally fall to the chair of the county commissioners, the county manager, or the county lawyer. If Boucher is doing this, she may land herself in hot water.

AI Implementation

Sources in the county say AI is being treated with caution, and county managers are developing processes in conjunction with the County Commissioners.

There is no evidence that Boucher is involved, and, based on her published degrees and certifications, she does not appear to have any knowledge or expertise in AI policy or use.

Staff Turnover Reduction

This simply isn’t an auditing function. Staffing issues and turnover should be addressed by the county manager and Human Resources.

This is another area where Boucher appears to have no qualifications relevant to the task.

Green Cove Springs Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)

Boucher is, in fact, chair of the Green Cove CRA. This quasi-governmental body meets once every other month. Yes, just six times a year.

Boucher is reported to have listed this as a time-intensive responsibility, but it is unclear what tasks, if any, she handles between the infrequent meetings.

Strategic Plan Report Validation

Report validation can’t possibly be a full-time job. Surely it is important and needs to be done. This task is the only one on Boucher’s list that is close to actual auditing, but is it worth a $44,000 raise?

Luckily for Boucher, she is known for one key role she fills—baking. Boucher is an accomplished baker and is known for lavishing tasty treats on her co-workers.

While it is unclear what Boucher actually does and whether that warrants her plump pay and benefits package, another issue is her evaluation scores.

Clay News & Views was able to obtain Boucher’s evaluations from several years of her work for the county. As you can see from the chart, her scores vary widely depending on which county commissioner is grading Boucher’s work.

Only commissioners Burke and Renninger gave Boucher high marks. The other current commissioners and former Commissioner Mike Cella rated Boucher as an average employee at best.

Looking at the scores, it becomes clear why Boucher wanted to negotiate a new deal with either Burke or Renninger.

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There's a consistent and striking split among commissioners. Burke always gives 5s, Renninger gives 4–5s, while Condon and Compere hover at 2–3. Rather than indicating poor performance, the scores may reflect highly uneven relationships and expectations.

Multiple commissioners (Cella, Condon, Compere) across both 2023 and 2024 independently raised the same concern: they don't know what Boucher is working on, audits are delivered late or without prior discussion, and requests sometimes go unaddressed.

Condon went from 2s across the board in 2023 (citing missed deliverables) to 3s in 2024, explicitly crediting Boucher with completing all agreed-upon projects on time. To her credit, this suggests Boucher is responsive to clear expectations when they're set.

Commissioner Condon called the commission auditor role a "contracted employee/role" whose value needs better public justification.

Compere questioned whether Boucher was performing all the duties a county auditor is responsible for (internal controls, fraud prevention, and budget involvement).

No review suggests incompetence. Several suggest that the position's mandate isn't clearly defined or consistently enforced.

What Would You Do?

If you were in James Renninger's shoes, who volunteered to negotiate with Boucher, would you grant her request? Could you honestly justify a $44,000 increase in expenses to taxpayers for a position that may very well be redundant?

Renninger is clearly sympathetic to the person in the role, more so than some of his compatriots on the county commission. While his compassion for the people employed by the county is commendable, salary negotiations would be better handled by someone with human resource skills who can remain professionally detached from the individual and the role.

And since the position reports directly to all of the commissioners, no one commissioner should be put on the hot seat to negotiate pay, especially given that the employee herself has stated she will quit if her demands aren’t met.

If Boucher’s request is granted, she will have received a 16% annual pay increase over five years, from $91k to $165k. This sets a precedent that would balloon the Auditor's salary to over $600,000 by the year 2035.

The next County Commissioner meeting is today at 4 pm in Green Cove Springs.

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Michael Kerekes has rescued Food Truck Friday in Green Cove Springs. Kerekes is the son of former school board member Janice Kerekes. He also recently bought the Neighbor to Neighbor newspaper.

Food Truck Friday became the focal point of the recent Green Cove Springs City Council elections. Ed Gaw, the incumbent, was also one of the event's sponsors. While campaigning against Tom Centracchio, Gaw threatened to shut down the event if he lost the election. And that’s exactly what he did.

This past week, Kerekes stepped in and gained approval from the Green Cove Springs City Council to take over the beloved event.

Hailed as a hero for saving Food Truck Friday, Kerekes has a less-than-heroic past. In 2016, Addison Davis defeated Charlie Van Zant for the position of Superintendent of Clay County Schools.

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The Kerekes family was bitter enemies of Van Zant and fought behind the scenes to elect Davis. Once in office, Davis hired Michael Kerekes as the “coordinator of community and strategic partnerships” for the Clay County School District.

Janice and Michael used their positions to bully, harass, and intimidate school district employees who supported Van Zant in the election. Per a report from Folio Weekly, at least three employees reported Michael’s inappropriate behavior.

Michael Kerekes was accused by the former public relations director, Rebecca Van Gyseghem, who alleged that in 2016, Kerekes physically blocked her camera and aggressively confronted her at a press conference. A witness told police she was visibly shaking and crying afterward.

Former assistant superintendent of human resources Toni McCabe alleged that Kerekes confronted her alone in a parking lot in 2014 after a school board meeting, screaming profanities at her.

A third woman, speaking anonymously, also claimed she was harassed by Kerekes and reported it to then-Sheriff Rick Beseler.

Eventually, Michael Kerekes was ushered out the door under the guise of a “leave of absence.” That leave never ended, and Michael never returned to his position.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and Janice Kerekes is no stranger to controversy herself. During her 12 years on the school board, which many people described as a “reign of terror”, Janice created a long resume of headaches, controversies, and bullying.

Janice is most recently known for her unsubstantiated allegations in 2022, in which she accused her opponent, Erin Skipper, of stealing her campaign signs.

Janice just so happened to have an AirTag and a trail camera set up on the very sign that was stolen during the campaign. Despite making a big fuss on social media and local news stations, the real bandit of the Kerekes’ signs was a random, disgruntled man from Keystone Heights.

This new iteration will be the first version of Food Truck Friday in which the organizer is not a resident of the city.

Per the voter rolls from the Supervisor of Elections Office, Michael is still registered to vote at his mother’s address in Fleming Island. Michael Kerekes is not listed as the owner of any property in Green Cove either.

When speaking to the Green Cove Springs City Council on May 19th, Kerekes gave an address of 1100 Idelwild Avenue. That address belongs to Pelican’s Snoballs, which is operated under an LLC registered to Michael Kerekes, Cold Comfort LLC.

The property itself is owned by Lynne Chaffee, not Michael Kerekes. In 2018, Lynne Chafee ran for the Clay County School Board at the behest of Janice Kerekes.

Chafee was recruited to oust Ashley Gilhousen from the board, as Gilhousen was a friend and supporter of Charlie Van Zant. But Chafee’s bid for the school board soon fell apart, as it was discovered that she could not legally run for Gilhousen’s seat because she did not live in District 5.

The revived Kerekes’ version of Food Truck Friday will kick off on July 3rd, 2026.

Jim Arnold has served as city attorney for Green Cove Springs for 49 years. He recently announced his retirement, effective at the end of he month. Truth be told, Arnold was the second casualty of the election that ousted City Councilor Ed Gaw.

While pleading legal necessity, Arnold had bucked the wishes of the City Council in it’s desire to reach a quick settlement with commercial property owner Ward Huntley, who had been unfairly assessed more than $187,000 in stormwater drainage fees.

Instead of handling routine pleadings himself until the settlement, Arnold hired a specialist law firm in Tallahasee to file what appeared to be boilerplate responses to Huntley’s lawsuit against the city. The firm was paid $18,000 before the desired settlement shut the case down earlier this year, but later than the council had wanted.

Arnold himself earns nearly $100,000 a year to advise the council on legal matters and is enrolled in the city’s health insurance system. Meanwhile he and his son operate a private law firm, headquartered across Orange Avenue from the Clay County government complex.

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During the election, the Food Truck Friday issue drew attention to the fact that incumbent council candidate Gaw—also the Food Truck Friday organizer with former City Councilor Van Royal—had voted in favor of a city subsidy of the event, rather than recuse himself from the vote.

Arnold should share the blame, according to two city councilors. These critics said Arnold should have advised Gaw not to vote on any measure before the council that allocated city funds for his private event. That’s basic conflict-of-interest avoidance, an ethics best practice.

Nor, by the same logic, should Gaw or former City Councilor Steven Kelley have cast votes in favor of improvements to Walnut Street because that is the address of Red’s Wine Bar, an enterprise in which Gaw, Kelly and Royal had been partners.

Then there was the phantom ethics complaint that roiled the election.

An alleged ethics complaint about Gaw and Food Truck Friday prompted Gaw and Royal to cancel the event. Royal and the Gaw campaign alleged without apparent evidence that Tom Centriacchio had filed a state ethics complaint against Gaw. They said Arnold had advised them to cancel the event out of an abundance of caution.

Then, City Councilor Cheri Starnes came forth and said that she had been the one who had raised the question of Gaw’s ethics, but with Arnold, not the state.

Even so, Arnold never came forward to confirm that Centracchio had nothing to do with the matter, and the Gaw campaign continued to imply that Centracchio was to blame for shutting down the city’s popular party.

By the time the smoke settled and Centracchio had triumphed—he was sworn in on Tuesday—a majority of the council had become dissatisfied with Arnold, who had hoped for another year in the job to make it a full half century.

Through channels, Arnold was encouraged to proceed to retirement.

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Clay County’s Auditor, Heather Boucher, approached members of the Board of County Commissioners individually and outside of formal process to lobby for a salary increase from roughly $114,000 to $165,000 — a raise of more than 44 percent — before the issue was finally aired publicly at a board meeting Monday night.

The revelation drew pointed criticism from Commissioner Betsy Condon, who noted it wasn’t the first time Boucher had pursued a pay bump through back-channel conversations rather than following the process laid out in her own contract.

“I am disappointed in the process that you were approached in the same way that I was,” said Commissioner Condon, who recalled a nearly identical episode in September 2023 when Boucher privately asked her — while she was serving as board chair — for a raise from $95,000 to $135,000, along with an increase in deferred compensation. “Heather knew what the process was at that time, that she should have come to us and asked to have the contract reopened.”

That 2023 request never materialized as asked. Instead, a countywide compensation study conducted by an outside firm set Boucher’s salary at $111,000. After two years of 3% cost-of-living increases in line with other county employees, her pay now sits at approximately $114,000. Boucher was not satisfied with the pay increase and never signed the paperwork documenting that adjustment. Commissioner Condon said the county’s Human Resources team ensured Boucher received the compensation despite not signing the paperwork.

Now Boucher is back — this time asking for $165,000 plus a restructured deferred compensation package tied to a percentage of her base pay rather than a flat amount. And, according to board chair Kristen Burke, when asked what would happen if she didn’t get it, Boucher said she would resign.

Commissioner’s Sgromolo and James Renninger were also approached by Boucher and were presented with the same ultimatum.

That ultimatum hung over Monday’s meeting. “If we’re reopening the contract, there really is no discussion unless she gets the 165, and you’ve already said you don’t agree with 165,” the Board Chair Kristen Burke said. “I kind of feel like I’m at a standstill here.”

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The tension was palpable — and the process questions were legitimate. Under Boucher’s contract, the board holds sole discretion to adjust her salary. But that requires either a board member or the employee to formally request the contract be reopened — not a series of private conversations with individual commissioners.

Not every member was opposed to revisiting her pay. Commissioner John Sgromolo said he found $114,000 potentially low based on his own research into comparable counties, even if $165,000 struck him as steep.

Commissioner James Renninger said he valued Boucher’s work and believed there was “a way forward” — though he declined to name a number publicly despite admitting to speaking with Boucher at some point prior to the meeting.

A staff presentation offered one possible middle ground: moving Boucher to a higher pay grade with credit for her years of service, which would put her at approximately $120,500, effective October 1st.

By the end of the meeting, Boucher had walked back her threat to resign after being confronted by Chairwoman Burke. Despite having had conversations with three commissioners about her pay, Boucher stated at the meeting that she did not want to discuss numbers outside of a formal negotiation.

Three commissioners- Sgromolo, Burke, and Renninger- signaled they were willing to reopen the contract. No number was agreed upon.

Commissioner Renninger will now negotiate with Boucher and bring a proposal back to the full board for approval. Renninger did not elaborate on the criteria he will use to evaluate Boucher’s pay, nor did he state whether he will stick to the plan based on the results of the 2023 salary study.

What remains unresolved is a broader question the meeting raised but did not answer: why, twice now, has the county’s own auditor — an officer whose job is to ensure accountability and proper process — chosen to circumvent the formal process in seeking her own compensation?

Commissioner Alexandra Compere put it plainly: “The whole point of us doing that study was so that we could rectify where we had been lagging. I don’t want there to be some arbitrary figure. What is the rubric, if we’re deviating from a study we paid for?”

The horrific video of an obese man being killed in Oakleaf backyard harkens back to a similar killing that happened in Green Cove Springs 20 years ago, back when cellphone video was rare, and police body cameras were non-existent.

The death of a 56-year-old black woman named Emily Delafield was ruled a homicide after two Green Cove police officers used Tasers to shock her for two minutes. Two-minutes also happens to be the time it used to take for an average “successful execution” by electric chair.

Delafield had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. She was obese and confined to a wheelchair. She was suffering an “acute mental health crisis” when officers arrived at her Union Street home.

Delafield was delusional when she dialed 911 to report her family was trying to hurt her. Police found her sitting in her motorized wheelchair in the middle of the street, holding a knife (or knives) and a hammer.

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After her death, Delafield’s survivors sued the city, as well as officers Barbara Leudtke and James Acres. Writing in a 2008 lawsuit, the Delafield lawyers pick up the story:

Despite the fact that Ms. Delafield had a kitchen knife and/or hammer in her hands, due to Ms. Delafield’s age, physical condition and restrictions and lack of mobility at the time defendant Leudtke and Defendant Acres interacted with her, she was not a realistic threat to do harm to anybody…

In total Ms. Delafield was hit with ten “cycles” from Defendant Leudtke’s and Defendant Acres’ Taser weapons, resulting in her receiving a total of over two minutes of incapacitating shock…

Ms. Delafield suffered injuries throughout her body and extremities, suffering intense physical and mental and anguish and ultimately death.

The medical examiner ruled Delafield’s death a homicide with the Taser shocks a contributory cause. The principal cause was an enlarged heart due to hypertensive heart disease.

The lawsuit alleged that Green Cove police had utterly failed to train its people on dealing with the mentally ill, even though this was a frequent factor in their interactions with the public.

Ryan Delafield told a news outlet that his aunt had been an active church member, who liked to write poetry, and would still be alive if police had shown common sense. “When someone is in an agitated state, the last thing you do is Tase them,” Delafield said.

“She was a very loving and kindhearted person. Everybody that knew her, just loved her to death. There was never any issues of her being mean or rude or anything like that,” he said.

The State Attorney’s Office declared the use of Tasers justified, but one assistant D.A. did offer an opinion that officers “could have decided upon a different approach once they realized their Tasers were not causing (the victim) to drop her weapons.”

They city reportedly paid out $100,000 to settle the lawsuit.

The death of Emily Delafield did not appear to have a negative effect on the careers of the officers. Barbara Leudtke rose to become a commander in the department today. James Acres retired as a patrol sergeant in 2021.

The incident happened well before the racial unrest in Ferguson and the killing of George Floyd. Had it been more recently, Green Cove might have been treated to the sight of CNN’s Wolf Blitzer eating lunch at Woody’s.

The Clay County Education Association claims to represent all teachers in Clay County. A new law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis will put that notion to the test.

Senate Bill 1296 (SB 1296) requires that public-sector unions re-certify by a vote, and that a majority of all employees they claim to represent must vote to keep the union. Prior to this law, unions were required to re-certify by a majority vote of their dues-paying members to remain in existence.

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The proposal passed through the Florida legislature earlier this year. Since then, Clay’s local teachers’ union, the Clay County Education Association (CCEA), has mounted an email, text message, and social media campaign urging its members to recruit new members and get non-members to vote in favor of the union.

A sense of urgency pervades the Union’s posts, as many inside and outside the organization believe it will not survive the new recertification process.

CCEA has been struggling to survive in recent years. Clay County is a majority-Republican county, and the school district reflects that political reality. The majority of teachers and staff in our local schools are Republicans.

The leadership of CCEA is overwhelmingly Democratic. Additionally, a large portion of the union dues paid by local teachers is sent to the Florida Education Association (FEA) and the National Education Association (NEA).

The FEA and NEA are notoriously progressive organizations, and the money they raise through union dues is funneled into advocacy and activism for a wide range of leftist initiatives.

Here’s a list of just a few times the FEA and NEA have advocated for leftist ideas, candidates, or policies:

• FEA endorsed Charlie Crist for Governor in 2014

• Opposition to laws prohibiting sexually inappropriate education in elementary schools

• DEI & LGBT Advocacy

• Supporting school candidates who oppose education reform efforts

The money the Unions spend is overwhelmingly on progressive causes. A Defending Education report found that the NEA and AFT, combined, have given over $669 million to left-wing political entities, far-left nonprofits, school board campaigns, and opponents of school choice since 2015.

According to InfluenceWatch, the NEA’s PACs contributed nearly $143.5 million to federal candidates and committees — 97% of which supported Democrats and liberals — from 1990 through 2019.

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But the issues with the union aren’t just at the state and federal levels. CCEA itself has exhibited biased behavior both towards school board candidates it opposed and teachers within local schools.

Clay News & Views (CNV) spoke with teachers throughout the county over the past two years, who recounted instances in which union stewards in schools failed to fully support teachers whom the stewards knew to be Republicans or conservatives.

Several teachers had similar experiences with CCEA President Vicki Kidwell, including one who accused Kidwell of harassing teachers in a school breakroom who refused to sign up for the union.

Caught Between Progressives And Bad Leadership

The issues with the local, state, and federal unions raise the question: Why would any Republican or conservative teachers in Clay County join the union?

The answer is simple: the toxic leadership and environments that teachers face in Clay County Schools. If nothing else, union dues come with guaranteed legal advice and support for teachers if they are falsely accused of wrongdoing by their administrators or the school district.

Clay County Superintendent David Broskie and the School Board have put on a full-court press to craft an image of a school district that is thriving in every capacity.

Graduation rates, survey results, school events, and more are featured on the district's and its associated schools' social media feeds. A carefully crafted veneer of perfection is presented to the public, all the while, many teachers inside the schools paint a different picture.

Per the teachers in the county, the main issue they face is a lack of support when facing disruptive, disrespectful, and sometimes violent behavior in the classroom and on campuses.

In 2017, the Clay County School District implemented a system called Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). The system is advertised as a simple, positive way for schools to help students behave better and feel happier at school.

Instead of mostly punishing kids when they do something wrong, PBIS focuses on teaching everyone the right behaviors from the start. Teachers clearly explain what they expect—such as being respectful, responsible, and safe—and then notice and reward students when they do so well.

This is supposed to create a kinder, calmer school environment where students know what’s expected and feel supported.

In practice, the system often fails to live up to these promises. PBIS has consistently failed to reduce suspensions and instances of violence in schools, failed to sustain improvements in behavior and academic performance over time, and led to unfair outcomes and manipulation.

All of those things and more are happening in Clay County schools. The reality of the PBIS system is an environment that becomes soft on bad behaviors and overlooks students who follow the rules and behave properly.

While supporting students who struggle to behave and adapt to the rules, PBIS ends up creating excuses for the behavior. Rather than teach students to strive to meet expectations despite their circumstances, students are able to avoid consequences for negative choices.

One local junior high recently faced mounting behavior issues with incoming 6th graders. All the students whose behavior was out of control came from the same elementary school. Leaders at the junior high called a meeting with the elementary school’s administrators to determine why their students couldn’t follow basic rules and were struggling to adapt to the junior high's structure.

This elementary school is just one example of the PBIS system run amok in Clay County Schools. The failed incentive structure, coupled with the Superintendent’s emphasis on positive optics, has led to schools where unruly students and parents dominate the school’s time, attention, and resources at the expense of the other students who actually want to learn.

And while there are schools wherein the administrators support teachers and unruly behaviors are managed properly, there are enough toxic environments within the schools to push teachers with conservative political leanings into the open arms of a leftist union.

What The Future Holds

Constitutional concerns were raised at SB 1296 during the legislative process. A Florida Senate staff analysis warned that the bill poses several constitutional concerns.

Specifically, it could infringe on workers' collective bargaining rights enshrined in the state Constitution, run afoul of the U.S. Constitution's Equal Protection Clause, and implicate free speech rights.

One Democratic senator described it as an "unconstitutional trainwreck." The analysis also flagged a possible violation of Florida's single-subject rule.

While a legal challenge to the law is likely, no suit has been filed yet. This leaves CCEA in full panic mode to remain in existence, and teachers are left to wonder where to turn for support if the union is decertified.

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On Saturday, a Clay County Sheriff’s Office Deputy shot a man on Pebble Street in Oakleaf. CCSO was called out by DCF to assist in case they were working in the area.

A new video has emerged of the shooting, which has raised questions about the incident. Be advised, the video contains graphic language and content.

In the video, the man who was eventually shot by the deputies is lying prone on his stomach, with his pants apparently falling down. He is heavyset and tells officers to “please shoot me” because “I’d rather die than go back to jail.”

The view of the man and the deputies is partially obstructed, but the sound of a taser being used and sirens in the distance can be heard.

Later, another person, presumably a CCSO deputy, shoots the man as he lies on the ground. The video shows only part of the scene, but it does show enough for community members to ask questions about the ethics of the shooting.

This tragic incident is a prime example of a case wherein body-worn camera footage might help to tell the full story of what happened during the shooting.

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Unfortunately, Sheriff Cook has not implemented body cameras for all CCSO deputies and has set a timeline of up to a decade to complete the rollout.

Clay News & Views has requested the body-cam footage from the deputies involved and will publish it if we receive it.

The author is a native Floridian. In 30 years at the Tampa Bay Times, he won numerous state and national awards for his environmental reporting. He is the author of six books. He lives in St. Petersburg with his wife and children. This story was first published on May 7, 2026 by the Florida Phoenix and is reprinted here with permission.

By CRAIG PITTMAN

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always loved those TV shows that tell us what a wild place nature can be. Jacques Cousteau, Marlin Perkins, the “National Geographic” specials—those were all appointment TV in my parents’ house.

Just the other day, one of my friends passed along a really wild Florida nature story. It’s about a type of moth, a rare one. It’s so rare that the only scientist to study it considered it to be long extinct.

But then it turned out that the winged insect he’d dubbed “Cicinnus albarenicolus” or “white sand dweller,” isn’t extinct after all. That’s the good news.

This moth has been here for millions of years. They were here long before most of our 23 million residents arrived.

“It’s a cool moth,” the moth’s discoverer, Ryan St. Laurent of the University of Colorado Boulder, told me. “And it’s definitely something that’s unique to Florida.”

The bad news is that the habitat where the moth lives is just about as endangered as can be.

“It’s the rarest ecosystem in Florida,” said Clay Henderson, a longtime Florida conservation activist and author of THE history of Florida conservation programs, “Forces of Nature.” “And there’s no real protection for it.”

Remarkably Oddball Creatures

Just as Florida has a lot of oddball humans — guys who will toss a gator through a drive-through window — it has a lot of strange-looking animals. The roseate spoonbill, for instance, with its pink feathers and a bill that looks like a table utensil.

We also have a lot of unusual insects. And no, I am not talking about flying cockroaches. Well, not ONLY the flying cockroaches.

The antlion, for instance, is pretty weird. So is the giant water bug, aka “the toe biter.” And of course, we can’t forget the ever amorous lovebug, cursed by millions of motorists and beloved by car wash proprietors.

To see something truly amazing, though, look at our butterflies and moths.

Take the Schaus’ swallowtail butterfly, for instance. It’s as big as a man’s hand. Its wings are a deep chocolate brown, striped in yellow with a dramatic dash of blue. And it has the rare ability to stop suddenly in midair, then fly backwards to flee from predators, sort of like a Florida politician fleeing reporters.

The white sand dweller moth isn’t nearly as spectacular a specimen. It most closely resembles a fragment of an autumn leaf or a shred of tree bark. But that’s the key to its success: It knows how to hide.

“It’s a pretty big moth,” said Akito Kawahara, director of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville. “For it to have gone undiscovered for so long is pretty remarkable.”

St. Laurent began a dozen years ago looking at museum specimens of the moth. There weren’t a lot of them—just 20 or so, the last one collected in the 1960s.

After doing his own examinations, he arranged a genetic analysis. That proved that these moths were a distinct species, not part of a more common one.

Because no one had collected one in 60 years, he thought they must be extinct. He wrote up a formal scientific description and sent it around to colleagues for comments prior to publication.

Then a Tavares ophthalmologist opened his eyes.

Not Dead Yet

Dr. Scott Wehrly has performed more than 22,600 successful state-of-the-art cataract surgeries, 12,000 refractive surgeries, and thousands of other ocular and laser procedures.

But his real passion is for collecting moths and butterflies. And he had collected a live white sand dweller moth in the Ocala National Forest in 2023.

Another butterfly and moth collector, a retired Palatka dentist named Jeff Slotkin, heard about it. Thus, when he heard about St. Laurent’s paper, he told the scientist that they were most definitely not extinct.

“I’ve known Jeff since grad school because he’s an affiliate of the McGuire Center at the University of Florida,” St. Laurent told me. “It was Scott’s specimen via Jeff that led me to the current population.”

St. Laurent was stunned to hear that his extinct moth was not, in fact, extinct.

The scientist booked a flight to Florida to see for himself. Based on his search of the state’s records, he tried one spot, but struck out. The next night, he tried finding his moths in Seminole State Forest in Eustis.

He set up four traps resembling tall, narrow tents with a specialized moth-attractive LED inside, He placed the traps in a spot where the trees open to an expanse of sandy soil and scrubby plants.

A little before 9 p.m., “I’m standing there and this kind of pinkish moth comes out of the darkness, and it was very recognizable. Nothing else really looks like that, moth-wise.”

And then two more joined it. He couldn’t contain his excitement.

“I was just like, ‘Wow, I was right! It is here!”

The three moths were all females. St. Laurent collected them and rushed them to the McGuire Center hoping his colleagues there could harvest any eggs and begin raising them in captivity.

This moth “is part of Florida’s multimillion-year history, and Florida is the only place in the world where it occurs,” St. Laurent said in a press release from his college.

Of course, the real problem would occur when it was time to return the captive-reared moths to the wild. Where would they go?

No Scrub

The name “white sand dweller” should give you a good clue about where these moths live: the scrub.

If your concept of Florida contains only pictures of beaches and theme parks, you need to know about the scrub.

It consists of sandy hills covered with twisted, stubby pines, oaks, and palmettos, where the animal population includes the homely but important gopher tortoise and the cute but imperiled Florida scrub jay. There are frequent fires, often sparked by lightning strikes, which are essential to the refreshment of the ecosystem.

Much of the scrub in Florida is found in what’s left of some ancient sand dunes dubbed the Lake Wales Ridge. The ridge runs right down the spine of the state. The state’s own website on the ridge says it’s “home to one of the highest number of rare plants and animals in the United States.”

“Scrub habitat is important in terms of the life that’s in it,” said Kawahara of the McGuire Center.

Yet there’s not nearly as much of it as there used to be.

As the state website admits, “85% of the original, dry uplands habitat on the Lake Wales Ridge has been lost to agriculture and development.”

“The scrub that does still exist is super isolated,” St. Laurent said. “We don’t know if those little pockets can support this moth at all.”

Florida used to do a great job of buying up precious parcels of scrub to preserve it. But then, in spite of how popular it was with the public, the Legislature started siphoning off the annual allotment of $300 million from the Florida Forever preservation fund.

The Legislature allocated a mere $18 million for it last year. This year the House wants to defund it entirely, a move that to me makes no sense whatsoever. If that happens, then sorry, scrubbies, looks like you’re on your own!

Where no one has preserved the scrub, here’s what’s happened. First, the citrus industry showed up to plunk down a grove of non-native trees growing a juicy fruit that was once worth big bucks. Now, not so much.

Next came the homebuilders, racing to take over this easily drained soil and cover it with pavement. They have been flocking to the ridge in Imperial Polk County, where the urban sprawl has been roaring along as fast as a runaway Brightline train.

More recently, the inland scrub is being carried off for use as coastal beaches — ancient dunes dug up and carried hundreds of miles for the purpose of bolstering modern ones.

Resting beach face

One big reason tourists come to Florida is to enjoy our beaches.

But just as we expect the tourists to eventually leave, the beaches aren’t supposed to stick around either. They’re on barrier islands, which wax and wane according to the tides. The sand shifts this way and that.

This wasn’t a problem until we started building million-dollar homes and condos on top of these shifting sands.

Suddenly, we needed the beaches to stay put, and they wouldn’t do it. As the barrier islands wash away, engineers have been using new sand to rebuild them nationwide since 1922.

Take a wild guess which state requires the most taxpayer-financed rebuilding, often under the misleading name of “renourishment.”

With the rising sea level, the Florida beaches keep washing away and having to be rebuilt. Some of our beaches have been remade more often than the plastic surgery devotees known for sporting “Mar-a-Lago Face.”

One in Fort Pierce, considered the most “erosion-prone” beach in the state, has been subjected to multi-million-dollar rebuilding projects 14 times since 1971.

You’re probably thinking, “What does this have to do with a moth?” Just this: Florida used to obtain all its sand for rebuilding beaches from offshore dredging sites—but not anymore.

Now, according to Nicole Elko, executive director of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, many Florida beaches are being rebuilt using sand hauled in from the Lake Wales Ridge. We’re turning ancient dunes into new ones, meanwhile altering the old scrub ecosystem for the worse.

The places that are digging up the Lake Wales Ridge don’t have much choice, Elko explained.

“They used up all that sand from offshore,” she told me.

Too bad about all those gopher tortoises and scrub jays that still need a home. To attract the tourists, we need to keep our beaches broad and welcoming. And when the next hurricane shows up and sweeps all that sand away, we have to “renourish” that pile of sand all over again.

It’s like we’re melting down the gold bars in Fort Knox for material to fill the potholes in the interstate. And we have to keep filling the holes over and over and over.

Make It Bigger

The white sand dweller moth story is one we’ve seen repeatedly in Florida. We humans think we know everything about our world, and then something happens that shows we don’t know as much as we thought.

A scientist searching the swamps of the Panhandle for something else accidentally stumbled on a fabled creature no one believed really existed. The so-called “swamp eel” turned out to be a type of salamander with external gills on its head, a reticulated siren, hailed as the most unusual scientific discovery of 2018.

Then, in 2019, a dead whale that washed up near the Everglades turned out to be a previously unidentified species now called the Rice’s whale. The newly identified whale, the only one that lives full-time in the Gulf of Mexico, has become the focus of a huge controversy over offshore oil drilling.

That’s why, when I talked to St. Laurent, I asked him what the white sand dweller does to help out the scrub where it lives. Yes, I know he just found out it’s still around, but asking dopey questions like that is what us journalists do.

One theory, the scientist said, is that they’re important prey for the Florida scrub jay. Another is that they’re essential to the growth of oaks in the scrub.

But more importantly, he said, they show whether the scrub is healthy or not.

“This moth could be a really good indicator of habitat quality,” he told me. “If you find this moth there, you know that the land has been managed well.”

Since UF is already pursuing a captive breeding project to produce a lot more of these moths, I’d like to see the university go even further. I’d like to see the scientists try to make a few of the moths much, much bigger—say, the size of Mothra, the Japanese monster movie star.

I say this because I think that’s the only way Florida’s perpetually pro-development politicians will agree to preserve their scrub habitat. As wild as our nature can be, our politics tends even wilder.

This story is by the folks at the Clay County Archives Center.

The Spanish took over La Florida from the British in the spring of 1783—a time of upheaval and uncertainty. The British, who held Florida for 20 years, were being kicked out, so incoming Spanish Governor Vincente Manuel de Cespedes had his hands full, as did outgoing British East Florida Governor Patrick Tonyn.

In the midst of all this upheaval were the banditti (bandits), led by Dan McGirt (McGirtt, McGirth). He took full advantage of the confusion by raiding farms, stealing cattle and horses, stealing and reselling slaves, holding up travelers, and causing basic mayhem. The McGirt myth involves tales of him being a seafaring pirate.

Despite such a lousy reputation, he had a wife who “ever received the kindest attentions from her relatives and friends, notwithstanding the misdeeds of her husband”. Mrs. McGirt was highly thought of and had several children.

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McGirt’s “lair” was the old Abraham Jones land grant, now known as the Ortega community in Jacksonville. There was a convenient, navigable creek there (now called McGirt’s Creek), which is a tributary of the Ortega River. This would have been a great feature to have if one really was a seafaring pirate, which McGirt was not. Instead, he used a beautiful horse named Grey Goose as his trusty means of getting away.

The local Clay County myth is that Dangerous Dan McGirt sank a massive treasure chest in Wadesburough/Tallulah Spring. This spring is located in The Springs subdivision off Doctors Lake Drive, and it once fed a sawmill for Zephaniah Kingsley. William Bartram even noted its crisp, clear waters in his travel writings about Clay County. The myth further goes on to say McGirt returned years later for the treasure only to be hung on the spot by the locals.

How did Dangerous Dan get to Florida in the first place? McGirt was from South Carolina and served in the Revolution on behalf of the Americans. He refused to turn the aforementioned horse over to his superiors many times, and when an argument ensued over the horse, the involved officer had McGirt flogged in public.

Deeply humiliated, McGirt fled the colonies on horseback, heading south and committing crimes against Americans as revenge. Once he was in British East Florida, he became a Loyalist. He continued his raids into Georgia, mostly stealing horses from the Americans. McGirt and his friends joined the Brown’s East Florida Rangers. Once they were no longer of use to the British, they disbanded and were left to fend for themselves. So, McGirt and his cohorts began to steal from the British, the Spanish and the Americans.

At this time of transition from British to Spanish, the two governors, Cespedes and Tonyn, had to work together to solve problems, and the big problem was this notorious banditti, Dan McGirt.

Tonyn issued orders for his arrest, followed by a trial and a possible death sentence to follow. Cespedes wanted to be a kinder, gentler governor and offered McGirt and company exile, safe travels for their families, and the ability to keep all their property. But, before McGirt could take him up on the offer, the troops sent by Tonyn arrested him.

He was locked up in the Castillo, and both governors pointed fingers at each other. Soon after, McGirt escaped by bribing a guard and quickly rejoined his old team attacking Spanish, British and American targets.

Everyone was after him. McGirt’s Creek was named in his “honor” after he escaped pursuers by crossing the stream on the back of Grey Goose. In 1785, finally fed up with McGirt, Governor Cespedes again ordered his arrest, calling him the “ostensible chief of the highwaymen of this country”, and packed him off to prison in Cuba. A true problem prisoner, McGirt repeatedly returned to Florida but was repeatedly sent back to Cuba over the course of years. At one point, he was even exiled to Nassau, Bahamas.

In 1795, McGirt showed up again in Northeast Florida and resumed his nefarious activities. In 1797, he was finally caught and thrown back in the Castillo. It is unclear exactly what happened to Dangerous Dan McGirt, but some believe he went back to South Carolina, rejoined his family, and later died there.

Over the years, Dan McGirt’ s reputation grew—now described as a sea sailing, swashbuckling pirate who hid his treasure in Tallulah Spring. In reality, his activities were terrestrial. He was a cattle rustler, highwayman, horse thief and slave trader.

Due to Florida law, most written communication to and from this office is public record, available upon request.

To Report Fraud, Waste & Abuse of County Resources Call the Third-Party Anonymous Hotline (833) 222-3251 or visit the website to file electronically at http://www.lighthouse-services.com/clayclerk [lighthouse-services.com].

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Here’s the news you need to know about from across Clay County.

Burn Ban Still In Effect

Despite the containment of the recent 4,000-acre Railroad fire, Clay County Officials are urging citizens not to light fires, as the county’s burn ban remains in place.

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As evidenced by the Railroad fire, even a single spark can quickly escalate into a situation that threatens property and lives. Click the picture below to learn what is permissible and prohibited under the current burn ban.

Orange Park Library To Host Cat Cafe

The last day of May will bring an overload of cuteness to the Orange Park Library. On May 30th, from 10 am to 1 pm, library patrons will have the opportunity to hang out with cats while perusing the library’s books at a pop-up Cat Cafe.

Clay County Animal Services will bring available kittens and cats for adoption at the low price of $25.

Clay High Teacher Organizes Bus Driver Appreciation Event

Matthew Mitchell, a teacher at Clay High School, came through in a big way to show appreciation for Clay County’s Bus Drivers.

On April 28th, Mitchell surprised the bus drivers with breakfast from McDonald’s, snacks, and other treats for Bus Driver Appreciation Day.

Clay Nurse Invites Others To Disney For National Nurses Day

A Clay County registered nurse wants nurses from around the world to celebrate their profession at the Happierst Place on Earth.

April Freeman was recently featured in a News4Jax story highlighting her effort to organize the trip celebrating her fellow health care professionals.

Man Charged With Mibbleburg Murder And Arson

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Kareem Robinson Johnson in connection with the murder of Reginald Eldridge Gantt in Middleburg.

Gantt’s body was found in a burned car in the area of Mimosas and County Road 218 on April 6th.

The author teaches meteorology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. This story first appeared on April 23, 2026 in The Conversation and is reprinted here with permission. As of this morning, 80 percent of the “Railroad Fire” in Clay and Putnam counties had been contained.

By ZACHARY HANDLOS

Large parts of the southeastern U.S. are in the midst of an exceptional drought, and it is fueling dozens of wildfires in Florida and Georgia.

One of those wildfires, in southeastern Georgia’s Brantley County, had burned about 90 homes and had spread to more than 20,000 acres by April 27, 2026. Another fire near the Georgia-Florida border had burned more than 30,000 acres and about 35 structures. The smoke from the blazes triggered air quality alerts in Atlanta.

Why is a region of the U.S. more often known for thunderstorms and humidity in spring seeing so many wildfires?

I teach meteorology at the Georgia Institute of Technology, including how weather patterns can lead to conditions conducive to wildfires. Here’s what’s happening to drive these conditions.

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Key Ingredients

Wildfires need a few key ingredients to spread: low relative humidity, dry fuels and strong winds.

Much of the Southeast has been in a drought since July 2025. From mid-March to mid-April 2026, the region saw less than a quarter of its normal precipitation for that time of year.

As a result, the U.S. Drought Monitor classified most of this region in “extreme” or “exceptional” drought by mid-April.

Part of the reason for the lack of rainfall has been a persistent high-pressure system over the Southeast.

High-pressure systems are areas where air aloft sinks toward the surface, preventing clouds and precipitation from forming. The Southeast high-pressure system resulted from the presence of a “ridge” in the jet stream, a northward bend in this fast current of air several miles above Earth’s surface.

Another consequence of this high pressure has been the presence of generally southeast winds, which have transported warm and fairly dry air into the area.

The relative humidity—a measure of the amount of moisture in the air relative to the maximum amount the air can contain at its actual air temperature— has also been very low due to warmer-than-usual temperatures and lower-than-usual moisture.

As a result of these conditions, trees, grass and leaves dry out and can quickly become fuel for wildfires. That kind of dry fuel is widespread throughout rural areas of Georgia and north Florida.

Once a fire starts, whether from lightning, power lines or other human sources, strong winds can spread it rapidly in these conditions. Georgia fire officials said the largest fire in mid-April, near the Florida state line, started with a spark from welding equipment that ignited surrounding vegetation. They believe a mylar balloon hitting a power line sparked the fire that burned dozens of homes in Brantley County.

What’s Ahead?

As global temperatures rise, the frequency of drought conditions in the Southeast will increase. This, in combination with less soil moisture content in the summer, could be conducive for increased wildfire activity.

Wildfires do eventually burn out. It takes a combination of help from the atmosphere, with moisture to douse them, and firefighters clearing away dry fuel to stop their spread.

Georgia and Florida may get a reprieve soon from the weather, as multiple low-pressure systems are forecast for the region in late April and early May that could bring rainfall. In the meantime, more than half of Georgia’s counties are under a state of emergency, as several agencies battle the flames to protect homes with helicopters in the air and scores of firefighters on the ground.

As the 2026 local election cycle hurtles towards the primary elections, campaign finance filings reveal that Erin Skipper, a candidate for the Clay County School Board District 1, has raised substantially more money than her opponents in the early reporting period.

According to the filings, Skipper has received roughly $25,000 in contributions, far outpacing the other candidates tracked in the reports. Much of that support has come in the form of $1,000 checks from political action committees based outside Clay County, including:

• First Coast Conservatives

• Clay Conservatives

• Friends of Judson Sapp

• Friends of Traci Koster

• Protect Our Florida Values

Additional $1,000 donations arrived from local businesses and individuals in the Green Cove Springs and Orange Park areas, along with several $500 gifts from regional donors.

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Michael Rathjen, seeking a seat on the School Board in District 4, ranks second in total contributions, drawing roughly half as much as Skipper.

His support includes several $1,000 donations from family members and associates in North Carolina and Texas, as well as business contributions from property management and insurance firms in the broader Jacksonville region.

Rathjen has received no PAC dollars, despite a trip earlier this year to “Clay Day” in Tallahassee to court the favor of State Representatives Sam Garrison and Judson Sapp, and State Senator Jennifer Bradley.

Michele Hanson, also running for School Board District 4, has relied more heavily on smaller, recurring individual donations — often in the $25 to $100 range — from a core group of local supporters.

In the County Commissioner District 2 race, Lolita Isabel Mancheno-Smoak has attracted a geographically diverse set of individual donors, including contributions from Wisconsin, Georgia, New York, and several other states, though her overall totals remain lower.

Ashley Gilhousen and Gerald Beasley, candidates for School Board District 5, have each reported nearly all of their early funding as self-contributions or loans. Leroy Edwards, also running for County Commissioner District 2, has received comparatively modest support so far.

A notable portion of the money flowing into these races has come from outside Clay County. Skipper’s campaign stands out in this regard, with more than $12,000 — nearly two-thirds of her total — originating from PACs and donors based in Tallahassee, Tampa, Coral Gables, and other parts of Florida.

Rathjen has also drawn significant outside support, including several thousand dollars from personal and professional networks in Texas and North Carolina. Hanson and Smoak each received smaller amounts from outside the county, largely from individual donors and, in Hanson’s case, a single PAC contribution.

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The filings also show some overlap among donors. Susan Callahan of Green Cove Springs has contributed to both Skipper and Hanson, as have Lucas Wilhelm and Amber Freeman. Judith Chapple (sometimes listed with slight variations in spelling) has repeatedly given to Hanson and appears in filings for at least one other candidate.

The PAC known as Clay Conservatives has supported both Skipper and Hanson. These recurring names point to a relatively concentrated network of local and regional supporters who are backing multiple conservative-leaning candidates in the school board and county commission contests.

The current reports cover transactions through early 2025, and future filings are expected to show additional activity as the races develop.

Campaign finance data for Florida local races is publicly available through state and Clay County Supervisor of Elections offices.

On Sunday, sparks from a train ignited a fire in the woods of southern Clay County near the border with Putnam County. The Blaze has spread to over 3,000 acres across the two counties and has been dubbed “The Railroad Fire.”

First Responders from Clay, Putnam, and the Florida Forest Service have been working around the clock to contain the fire and evacuate people in its path.

While civilians have been asked to steer clear of the area, there is an opportunity for you to help the people doing the hard work of fighting the fire.

Tomorrow from 7 am to 7 pm, donations of water, sports drinks and snacks can be dropped off. These supplies will do directly to people tasked with putting the fire out.

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In a series of articles, Clay News & Views (CN&V) documented some of the appalling challenges that Clay’s fire rescuers must endure.

Within the series, CN&V also reported about an alarmingly high rate of post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide, depression, and workplace burnout, along with other psychological conditions associated with their hazardous jobs. Florida, along with the nation, has passed legislation to enable local governments to make it easier, less costly, and more confidential for all first responders to access mental health resources.

In 2019, with encouragement from the legislature, fire rescue departments in other parts of the state began performing mental health surveys to ask first responders, “How are we doing?” and “What can we do better?”

For almost five years, Clay County’s Fire Rescue upper management chose not to do the mental health surveys, so the fire department’s union took the initiative to conduct an anonymous survey. Finally, the county performed its own survey in Oct. 2025. Both surveys were eerily similar—brutal for the department’s upper management.

The following are the full quotes from the union’s survey. Personnel were asked to “communicate” whatever they wanted regarding the stresses of their job. “The Floor is yours,” the survey said.

• I think it’s crazy that our fire chief bargains against us in the union contract agreements. This makes no sense and feels like a kick in the teeth by the person who is supposed to support us.

• At what point does someone in the food chain that is CCFR look at Jason Boree and tell him to stop making command decisions on scenes where he isn’t even present. Why are our engine officers and battalion chiefs walking around scared to death that an engine or ladder company might have to down an apparatus to ride in and help rescue and render aid, BECAUSE JASON BOREE CALLS AND YELLS AT THEM FOR IT!!!!! Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t know what Jason Boree wants, needs, and lack of good sound judgement was more important than the lives of the citizens we are here to serve. He has done it time and time again. Someone tell this toxic “Leader” that he isn’t seeing and isn’t in that situation to be able to make a decision if he’s not on scene!!! This is just the tip of crap we deal with on the street coming from admin. One day Boree is going to get someone killed, or a citizen killed. I mean that level of toxic operation already got a 16 year old stabbing victim killed when his Protege, BC (names redacted) did the same thing to R18 when transporting that 16 year old that had been stabbed, and instead of letting that crew use common sense and go to OPMC like they were going to, she ordered them to go to Wolfson’s and the kid was dead before they hit I-295.. That is the crap leadership we’re all referring to...it’s a cancer and Boree’s example to his buddy (name redacted) got a kid killed. I wonder how that young man’s family would feel if they knew this???? But, just like everything else at CCFR, admin gets to do whatever they want, with no standard, while the rest of us toe the line and do their bidding The admin at this department will be the reason someone eats a pistol one day, not the bad calls we go on, but the undue stress that these so called “leaders” put on us. That will be what causes that to happen, and if nothing is done after all these surveys are read...then that will tell everyone at #3362 that this county doesn’t care about the ones of us who work here.

• The issues with Logistics aren’t anything new. Where are all the second sets of bunker gear that we’ve been getting “sized for” several times or in the past 6 years? It seems like the only ones getting a second set are the new hires. So what admin is saying is that the cancer-causing elements we come across only affect them? Why can’t all of us have a second set? Why can’t Chief LeRoy ensure we have them? It seems that he is overwhelmed, or he is clueless, whatever the issue is, if any of us on the street did our job the same way logistics is run, Boree would be losing his mind demanding our termination. Make accountability a two-way street.

• The blatant favoritism and lack of leadership displayed by Motes and Boree is absolutely appalling, and totally unacceptable. Chief Motes has shown it recently with what would equate to gender discrimination against female firefighters. Eng (name redacted) because he is trying to bend and interpret policy with the accident she had. His disciplinary recommendation does not concur with policy. He hasn’t given the same recommendation for discipline with male firefighters, as he did with her. This is totally unacceptable. Boree is guilty as well. His favoritism and protection of Capt. (name redacted), and the way he coddles and covers for Chief (name redacted) incompetency is very obvious throughout CCFR. There have also been several investigations that were handed out to employees for “potentially” violating policy. Investigations handed down from Boree to (name redacted) to “take care of” that would never stand in any other job. There is also the issue with the open- ended investigations that can last as long as admin wants. There is ABSOLUTELY no reason for this to happen. Investigations last for months with absolutely no basis for them to last as long as they do. This causes undue stress on employees for investigations, the majority of which shouldn’t be taking place. There are aspects of this job that cause stress for us, the “bad calls”, but the majority of the stress we endure at CCFR is caused wholly by Motes and Boree’s absolute lack of leadership and the hostile work environment they embrace. It is for this reason that there are MANY in the department who feel it is time for a Vote of no confidence against Motes and Boree. If this was to happen then maybe someone high up in the county will finally understand how we feel, and they will do something about it. It is LONG overdue, Motes and Boree should’ve been terminated a long time ago.

• So as of late there have been employees written up for not bringing a Dr.’s note for calling out, the charge they get is insubordination. Even though they might have to shell out money to get that note. Why doesn’t CCFR have a Dr we can got to for these situations? and insubordination? but yet you have Chief LeRoy guilty of insubordination for not getting L1 equipment ordered when he was instructed to? So, insubordination only pertains to the crews on the street and not to admin chiefs?

• The biggest issue Operationally this department has is Logistics. How is it that this department can run efficiently when we don’t have the supplies to do it? For months now we have to beg for IV supplies from hospitals so we can give proper treatment to the community. We run out of medication that is front line meds for medical calls. Just to be told there is a “nationwide shortage”. That is a lie, many of us are married to nurses and other medical professionals, and personally know many of them too. They don’t have any issues with nationwide shortages for supplies. Then only to find out there was never an order placed, or to be told by guys working in logistics that LeRoy is holding off ordering supplies to save a .01% on every .10 cents spent. I get there is a budget, but there is a job we have to do, and that isn’t an excuse. I wonder how the local hospital’s logistic support would feel knowing we were causing them to spend MORE money because LeRoy is too incompetent or just plain cheap to give us the tools we need, in any other job he would be fired for failing to do his job, plain and simple. Another example of LeRoy failing at his job is Ladder 1. He was given an order by Chief Mock to order all the equipment to get L1 in service back in October. When that truck went online on Jan 31, 2024, there was nothing ordered for it. It was empty. How was he not written up for insubordination? That is the most cut and dry definition of disobeying an order, if it was anyone else below the rank of CHIEF that person would’ve been under investigation immediately with the recommendation from Boree for immediate termination. Accountability is a 2-way street. Every admin chief is guilty for allowing LeRoy to continue to be in dereliction of duty.

• First and foremost, I will say this. The only thing keeping this department together are the officers and senior engineers in this department, they are the true leadership this department has and needs right now, they protect their people as much as they can from the STUPIDITY that rolls down from admin. Admin in this department is toxic and failed. Theres no other way to say it, other than the reality of it.....FAILED leadership. That being said, the biggest issue that kills this department is MOTES, and BOREE. Chief Boree is the posterchild for a failed leader who uses his position and rank to intimidate his subordinates. Especially during discipline handed out. There have been several times that Chief Boree didn’t “think” an investigation went the way he “wanted” it to go, and in the process has TOLD investigating officers to change it to his liking. The most recent one he did it was Jake Erkenricher’s investigation for military leave. For some unknown reason he was targeted by Boree for using his military leave, he didn’t like that the investigation showed no wrongdoing, and wanted it changed in a matter that would have punished that firefighter, even though there was no wrong doing, that action alone should be enough for an investigation into Boree. How is behavior like that allowed? IN ANY OTHER JOB FIELD HE WOULD BE FIRED ON THE SPOT!!!!!! Yet if it’s one of his “boys” he shows favoritism. Like he did with Captain (name redacted) when he abused Telestaff and manipulated it to his liking to get more OT and caused others to lose that opportunity. Any other time when there is an investigation he recommends termination, even though there is a policy for progressive discipline for the department. How can he sit there and hold others accountable for SOP’s when he doesn’t even follow them himself? How is he allowed to continue to act in such an unprofessional and toxic manner? As for Motes, he’s honestly no different. Recently there was an investigation against (name redacted) based off an email written by Lt. (name redacted) , and Lt. (name redacted) claiming she was using narcotics, and attacking her job performance. What is weird though is that he took the role of investigating officer, when it is normally a BC who does investigations. Many wonder if he took the role because of his investigation because of the close relationship he has with LT. (name redacted) has been witnessed several times at 15 boasting that he can call Motes and get whatever he wants. Seems like favoritism. It’s funny though that even though LT (name redacted) made the accusations in his email statement about (name redacted), he told numerous individuals at 15 he in fact didn’t think she was using narcotics at all. So, was he coerced into making the statement? or was it a lie? In the accusations they based the narcotics statement because she was “scratching her face.” And what does MOTES do? Tries and diagnose her for another medical condition and blame anxiety for the issue. Is Motes a Dr. Now? Last time I checked he wasn’t. So how can he make a now FALSE accusation and put in a written reprimand? and make his own diagnosis? What kind of leader does that? In conclusion, these are just 2 of the issues CCFR has, and they rest solely on leadership. Leadership who is supposed to hold a standard, not just for us, but themselves. Yet they think they are above it themselves. Until those change, morale will be dead here.

• This is for the County Manager. This is the second survey we are filling out in order to get this department’s message of a broken culture, pride, and

• We can’t move forward if we don’t change the top. Motes says change starts at the bottom. How is this possible? It doesn’t matter what the starting pay is, or all the fancy station they want, if admin doesn’t change, this place will never change. This administration has worn out its welcome. The only brand-new station brought online in 20 years is Station 26. Station 11, 23, 24, and 20 already existed. In 20 years, they have built 1 fire station. We are not a small-town department in a Sunday evening movie. We are a fast-growing county, a thriving county that is behind the curve and now they are panicking to keep up. And we will be the ones to pay the price, not the administration. Stop letting them do this to us. They need to go. We don’t trust them. We don’t have confidence in them.

• The disrespect and mistreatment of employees has gone on for too long. The only way to change it is a replacement of Mock, Motes, Boree, and Leroy. They have forgotten where they come from. Especially Boree. He has cursed at employees and disrespected employees. He has no leadership ability. You can negotiate all the raises and incentive you want but it will not change who the admin chiefs are. This place is broken. If administration won’t rebuild it then the we need to.

• The department is run in poor manner. Bad discissions are being made when purchasing apparatus. New apparatus is being sent back to the manufacturer to have the axe and suspension upgraded. Why would it come from the factory not already built to our needs. We have a truck committee that is supposed to collectively make decisions to decide what fits our needs. As of now we have chiefs that decide how the trucks are built. The chiefs do not operate the trucks on a daily basis, they don’t see the issues we have. Money is not only being spent on the build but also on the additional cost of having the truck upgraded so it can handle the weight. Ordering items for our truck has become difficult and very untimely. When something is ordered we don’t get a response back saying it’s been ordered or when it will be here. It just never shows up. Medical supplies have been difficult to get. We have been told since COVID that there are supply chain problems. How much longer are we going to be told this? It doesn’t appear anyone else has supply chain issues. We will receive half of what we request. It’s an embarrassing conversation in front of a patient when you can’t do something because you don’t have the correct medication or correct size IV that’s appropriate. It not only puts patients at risk but employees too. Blatant favoritism for discipline is difficult to watch. You hear of people getting away with stuff but then you see someone under investigation for something as petty as not having a sick note. Someone being late to work for the first time is put under investigation. The administration micromanages to a point that the battalion chiefs can’t even take care of issues at a station level. One battalion chief can’t even make a decision on her own. She constantly calls Chief Boree, which then leads to a larger issue, investigation, stress, resentment etc. When an employee spends most of his time at the breakfast table talking about Chief Motes and their personal relationship, it sucks. “David this...” David that...’‘ “Motes this...” “ Motes that. “, it gets old. We not only grow to extremely dislike that person but DO NOT TRUST THEM. It becomes obvious when Chief motes makes a phone call to that person when the engine officer is present and issues orders through that person but will not go through the officer on scene. We would be chastised for violation of chain of command. Please stop hiring Jacksonville people if you are just going to fast track them for promotion. Lt. (name redacted) explained this to a Jacksonville fireman. Clay County waited to do a C and a D promotion list to get the Jacksonville guys promoted and went on to say he will be the next Safety Officer as that spot has been promised to him. At least do a better job at hiding favoritism. Sure, we’re firemen, but we aren’t that stupid. Chief Motes says he has read all these books on leadership, It doesn’t show. We want to be firemen. We want to be firemen on and off the job. But here. when I leave work, I don’t want to be a fireman. At work I only want to be it when I’m helping those that truly need it. Local 3362...good luck with the administration. It’s known that you’ll never beat them. They don’t care about us. They care about themselves and how they will look to their higher ups. They will keep piling things on those that are already going through a difficult time. It’s not work that’s stressful, its working for our administration. We don’t trust our administration. We no longer have confidence in them. We need to redirect our energy to ourselves. If they won’t take care of us and look out for us then we need to do it ourselves.

• Chief Motes has his department and Chief Boree has his department. Boree does things that Motes finds out about after the fact. why? The lack of communication between them is terrible and their offices are next to each other. It’s a common belief that Boree will do whatever he wants, and we are left to try to plead our case. His relationship with (name redacted) allows her to do whatever she wants and make her own set of rules. Nobody wants to share personal business with her because she has made comments in the past about people going through a difficult time that are offensive to people. Boree has zero compassion for people. Every investigation is recommended the most severe punishment. He doesn’t want any of us here. He wants to punish to the fullest extent. How has nobody in the administration not seen this? Who holds him accountable???? Boree and Motes stack everything they can find when discipline is issued, you can have a write up from 20 years ago and be a stellar employee and they will throw it in with the investigation and try to apply more discipline. We are not allowed to make mistakes. We will be punished to the fullest. We will be issued the harshest punishment they can get away with. Who wants to work for chiefs like this? Who wants to come back to work? Is it pleasurable to punish your own employees? It’s like they have to remind us of who our master is. But when it’s all said and done, you get nothing. absolutely nothing but a story to tell everyone else how they stuck it to you. Leadership is lacking in this department. Leadership at the top is lacking. Asking for sick notes must make Boree feel good because he can open an investigation on you and talk about how swamped they are with all this work and then issue more discipline. I’m wondering how many people would not be able to get another job just because of the investigations in their personnel files. Admin seems to keep our personnel files fresh with investigations. If a random person looked at all the investigations here it would appear that clay has the most undisciplined employees ever. How is Boree and Motes going to let a captain get away with a slap on the wrist for manipulating Telestaff? He did it for his own financial gain!!!!! He figured out how to stay at the top of the overtime list by manipulating his hours. How’s is this a slap on the wrist. Its fraud. He screwed his fellow employees. Admin lost a lot of faith from employees on this one. You really showed your true colors. But at the end of the day hardly any of this goes anywhere... If an employee is going through a hard time in their personal life and is affects their work, you just add more on them. You keep piling and piling till they break. You can’t leave stuff alone and recognize the signs when someone is struggling? And don’t expect us to tell you. We know that some way we will be punished, investigated, or transferred. You will keep piling and piling it on us. but we will turn to our brothers. We will turn to our union. They give us an opportunity to vent, get help, and give us guidance. The union has leaders that will lead and mentor our young ff as well as those that have worked here for a while. We have no trust in the administration. We have no confidence in administration. We are asking the union to please help with this as they can. LACK. OF. LEADERSHIP. LACK. OF. CARE.

• E-board, stay focused on us, the members. Don’t get wrapped up grieving every little thing. It’s a distraction from what is truly important. And to you, that’s the members. Communicate with the members, get out and come see us. We look forward to seeing and hearing from our e-board. Everything else... The guys on the street have to share a vision with administration. Admin wants “buy in”, well that comes through communication, fair treatment across the board, and support from administration. Administration has no communication among each other. It’s often asked if Chief Motes even knows what Chief Boree is doing. The answer is no. Often Chief Mock doesn’t even know what his deputy chiefs are doing. We can see this. And when we see it, buy in is not an option. You can keep telling us and giving the “buy in” talk to your captains, but just remember we are not the dumb firemen you think we are. E15, who was in charge of this design and who signed off on it? Who wanted everything loaded on E15 after being told it was OVERWEIGHT. Why was E22 sent to the dump to be weighed in hopes it had a higher Gross Vehicle Weight and considered that it should be swapped with E15 which was overweight. After many repairs and money spent it was finally sent back and had another axle put on it that could hold more weight. It was sent back to the county WITHOUT a weight certification and sent to the station for it to be swapped into. It wasn’t weighed before hose was loaded. It didn’t have a spec plate with a gross vehicle weight. But our chiefs ordered our personnel to load the truck. Why is Chief Boree taking the lead of E15? Why did he approve the purchase if it didn’t meet our needs, how much more money was spent to get the truck where it needed to be? If we have a truck committee, why hasn’t it been utilized in the purchase of several engines and rescues. Chief (name redacted) gives orders without thinking of the consequences. If E15 is overweight and is involved in an accident, FHP will hold the driver accountable if it’s overweight. Not the Battalion Chief, not the Operations Chief, not the Logistics Chief. Why would the Operation Chief order us to operate an unsafe vehicle? How much money was spent on making E15 road worthy? Clay County signed a contract with the manufacture accepting the design and finish product. Please STOP ordering apparatus without consulting your Truck Committee. And to say that “it doesn’t matter what the truck committee wants, we’re going to do it our way.” is wrong and condescending. Who designed E15? Who accepted E15? Who kept trying over and over to solve this issue with as little attention as possible? Maybe since E15 and E22 are sister trucks, whoever designed E15 had an idea that a problem was on the horizon and had E22 built with a smaller tank to avoid issues we’ve had with E15. Investigations- I truly feel sorry for those having been under investigation. If investigations are unfounded by the investigating officer, it’s pretty well known that administration will find something. They can’t seem to accept that a competent unbiased investigation was done, and nothing was found. In the end, Chief Motes or Boree with find something. It’s like it’s their mission to find and punish EVERY SINGLE PERSON. Why does CHEIF BOREE tell Battalion Chiefs to change their findings on investigations if he doesn’t like what they conclude? This has been going on multiple occasions. For someone to get a fair and unbiased investigation is far from the truth as long as Chief Boree is involved. The perception is that he wants to punish and fire everyone. The ongoing joke is that “He can’t fire all of us...but he’ll sure try.” In a legal investigation, his interference or persuasion with the investigation would have him immediately removed and consequences would be issued to him. But here in kangaroo court, it’s perfectly fine. Chief Boree’s favoritism towards Capt. (name redacted) was a gross demonstration of his favoritism. Chief Motes took an interest in the investigation instead. Why wasn’t a Battalion Chief assigning this investigation like they are assigned any other investigation? Capt. (name redacted) was caught manipulating the automated staffing system to his benefit. It was manipulated so it would not call him certain days, and he could stay at the top of the overtime list. This adversely affected other employees’ ability to get overtime. This also benefited Capt. (name redacted) monetarily in his paycheck and his retirement. His discipline was less than appropriate. All the other employees watched this investigation closely. It was recognized how it was handled from start to finish. It seems that its Chief Boree’s mission and goal to issue the harshest punishment he can. To inflict the most demoralizing pain and cause as much emotional stress as he can. YES, we have rules, we have policy, we have a contract, but what we don’t have is an Operation Chief that is a mentor. We don’t have an Operation Chief that realizes we are human and are subject to poor judgment. We have a dictator like Operations Chief. We have an Operations Chief that has anger issues. We have an Operations Chief that has forgotten where he has come from. We would rather avoid going to the EOC at any cost. Avoid him on a scene. We would rather not have to have any interaction with him if at all possible. Chief Motes and Chief Boree want robots. But robots we are not. we are human. we are subject to mistakes, bad decisions, bad choices, bad judgment. Humans have leaders and mentors throughout their lives. When is the last time our chiefs mentored anyone? And not with a talk about buy in. If you want to buy in from the street, they have to know what’s for sale. To describe our relationship with the admin chiefs to the street, it’s best described as a disconnect. You could go as far to say that it’s an abusive relationship as well. What we see on the street, the apparatus we operate, our work and living condition are all daily topics around the fire station. The Chiefs are so far disconnected from us they have no clue. And nobody wants to say anything in fear of retaliation. Either through being sent to a rescue or sent to the furthest station they can banish you to. To say rescue is not punishment is an absolute LIE. We’re constantly living under their thumbs, and they keep piling it on us. You have an employee going through a difficult time and you continue to hammer and hammer till they are completely destroyed mentally and emotionally. And when they go home to eat that bullet you’ll just say “ geeze, that’s terrible...” Would any of the chiefs let their families live in the condition we do? Mold, crowded stations, crowded bathrooms, substandard repair work from contractors and county maintenance, residential appliances. Sta.14 stove is a joke, smaller than the one they had. Sta, 13 cooking in the bay while the station was under construction for mold. You let them eat where the vehicle exhaust exits the vehicle??? Was an exposure report done for everyone stationed there? You let the dish water drain into the parking lot. That is considered grey water. How did the department of health let them get away with that? It happened with our chief knowledge. Chief Motes, Chief Boree. and Chief Leroy. To say that Mental Health is a priority to our admin chiefs is like cutting your arm off and saying it’s not bleeding. Chief Motes appears to have taken an interest in his people’s mental health. Chief Boree acts as if it’s another way for the employees to get out of doing things they don’t want. Our fight against cancer causing chemicals...Doesn’t seem like Chief Boree is very interested. We explore the option of new uniforms, and he sarcastically calls our current uniform “cancer causing uniforms”. He’s made several comments. Does he not take it seriously? Because the guys on the street do. We live in it. Is our safety and future not a concern to him? Cause to everyone’s spouse on the street it is a concern. The distance between the disconnect of the street and the admin is such that the guys on the street will always be guarded, they will always feel the Chief Boree is out to get them, and Chief Motes isn’t far behind. Stations in disrepair. Station 15 looks terrible. The residence of Lake Asbury loves their fire station, but it looks like a used fire truck lot. Why does the administration pinch pennies when it comes to the station repairs. Your people live in these buildings. We live in them every day. Why are we going with the lowest bidder and not someone that is reputable and can deliver a good quality finished product. Supplies/Logistics- WHY CAN WE GET THE NECESSARY MEDICAL SUPPLIES. It’s been proven that the shortage we were told about wasn’t actually a shortage. The surrounding counties had the supplies that we were told was unavailable, including some medication. but for some reason Clay County couldn’t get it. If we don’t have a medication or item to perform on scene and the patient has a bad outcome the first person to blame will be the guys on the street. Rescues take whatever they can from the hospital to offset what we are not receiving from logistics. Tegaderm, flushes, IV catheters, syringes etc. How are we supposed to do our jobs without essential equipment. If we have a shortage of supplies, then why doesn’t anyone else? When we order 30 IV catheters, why are we being sent 20? We have rescues that run 15 to 20+ calls a day and we are only sent a portion of what we order. The medical supply orders are for the engines and rescues. But yet we are questioned by Chief Leroy why we order so much. The call volume speaks for itself. Just another instance of the disconnect. Why are we getting question why we are ordering so much epinephrine? We are growing, we are busier than we ever have been, and we are only getting busier. I wonder what the admin would say if it was their family member that we didn’t have the correct medication or enough of the medication for. I wonder how they would feel if it were their family member. It takes weeks, sometimes several months to get new uniforms. If we are requesting new pants and shirts, it’s because we needed it a week ago. Chief Leroy waits till he has a large order before he orders. Meanwhile we are getting questioned by our battalions why we are wearing torn or faded uniforms. Why did Ladder 1 sit at logistics for so long with no equipment? It was delivered on December 7th. No equipment ordered, no nothing. WHY? Why are we using dilapidated old equipment from a spare engine. Why did Chief Leroy not order equipment when he was told to? How is this not insubordination? The Ladder is in service today and still no new equipment. Everyone on the street is watching and clearly sees what’s going on. Why has nobody received any training on Ladder 1. Not a single person from the manufacturer has come to talk about basic operations, its capabilities, or limitations. BUT if one of us tear it up, it will be our fault. We are in March and can’t order uniforms. Why? If the new uniform has been chosen, why have we not been fitted for new one yet? Whose responsibility is this? What do we have to do to change this? We have local stores we should be able to go get work pants from. GT Distributers, 5.11 Tactical, both local stores in Orange Park and Jacksonville. These stores may not be the answer, but they are options. Why don’t we have a stock of uniforms and belts. boots. t-shirts etc.? We are always offered to go upstairs in logistics and see if we can find some old turned in uniforms. Is this how you take care of your people. If your people don’t have the necessary items to perform the task at hand, YOU are setting them up for failure. The mechanics try their hardest to keep up with us. We appreciate them. Bucky is an asset, hardworking and very dedicated. However, we feel like he being ran over by Chief Leroy. Why can’t Bucky run logistics? Why can’t Lt. Miller? Why can’t Lt. Smith? Is it because they will refuse to be micromanaged? You have nothing to lose by hiring a logistics supervisor from within. You have everything to gain. Someone that knows the system, knows what the apparatus on the street, knows and is familiar with our supplies and equipment. It looks like you posted an open position so you could check a box. Not ever having any real intention of hiring from within. Why are the admin chiefs so hung up on sick notes. It’s come to a point that the silliness from Chief Boree is becoming comical and ridiculous. Sick notes are a PAY TO PLAY. The policy gives guidelines for which a sicknote is required. Now the Battalion Chiefs have been given directions by Chief Boree to ask for sick notes non-discriminately, for any reason. We don’t always need to go to the ER or urgent care center to be seen. We can self-medicate at home for less than a co-pay or ER bill. If I call out sick, I have to pay the co-pay to play the game. But Chief Boree is so determined and seems to be looking for a reason to come after us. It takes 3 weeks for me to get a doctor’s appointment with my primary doctor. Why would I want to go see a doctor or nurse I’m not familiar with. Not all the Battalions ask for a doctor’s note. But if you ask certain Chiefs, they say they have consistency across the board....WRONG Why are the surrounding counties building fire stations and we are struggling to get 1 up????? We don’t need 9-million-dollar stations. We don’t need multiple rescues in a station. We need good quality fire stations. We don’t need a state-of-the-art fire station. Just give me something better than 13, 14, or 15. We need MORE fire stations. To tell the public we are building new stations is a fib at best. We are rebuilding and relocating. We need more fire stations. Why doesn’t Green Cove St.20m have a rescue? You absolutely wear out Rescue 22 and rescue 24. Rescue 1 shouldn’t be going to Green Cove to sit all day just to say Green Cove has rescue. You do the citizens of the City of Green Cove Springs a disservice by making them wait extended time for a transport unit. When Rescue 24 and Rescue 22 are on a call, Rescue 15 from Lake Asbury or rescue 25 from Camp Blanding are the next due units to arrive, this is absolutely absurd. Are you afraid to put a rescue in Green Cove because you think the commissioners won’t let you build a new station if they see you can put one at the current station? Green Cove needs a rescue, the citizens in Green Cove Springs deserve one. Why does every other station have a rescue but not Green Cove? Station 1 has a rescue and it’s not even built yet.

• Extracurricular activities

• I am incredibly concerned with talks circulating the county that the E-Board is going to negotiate to a 24/72 schedule. The funds it would take to finance this expensive proposal will cut into the pockets of our employees. Rather than taking that extra funding and stretching it thinner, we need to be negotiating for those funds to go more towards paying who we already have. We already only work 10 days a month, I would much rather be paid more for those 10 before rather than showing up even less. The 24/72 proposal is tone deaf and comes across as lazy to people who already see us as working an easy schedule, which we do.

• Admin needs to communicate and have a better plan for the future of CCFR.

• Just want to say thank you. Stay on them. Keep pushing for all the things we need to keep us safe and healthy.

• Listen to officers and make changes

• More communication

• Would like to see fair treatment from all chiefs, even bc’s.

• Need more info on plans for county. Too many transfers

• I would like for training positions to be able to train unimpeded by busy work. It feels like we’re wasting talent. I’d be nice if we could feel pride in the condition of our stations. Most feel run down.

• All these new medical policies place an unrealistic expectation on medics. To perform these in the clinical setting is far different than in the settings we find ourselves in every day. It would be nice to see some latitude given when learning opportunities are presented as opposed to making mistakes always punitive. It creates an environment where people are hesitant to act in fear of failure or judgement.

• I have watched Chief Motes play games with people for years. If he doesn’t like you, he doesn’t approve classes or time off for folks to attend training to improve in their roles. In some cases, he makes it almost impossible for some people who are fantastic firefighters to advance just because he doesn’t like them. He’s made it to where some people have had to come out of pocket to pay for their own training because he doesn’t think they need it but will then approve it for others without issue. If complaints are filed against him those individuals find themselves at the worst stations. He’s also made it to where more senior ranking employees don’t get the apparatus they’ve earned, but instead they’ll give them to very inexperienced junior officers that don’t have the expertise. Motes sometimes goes out of his way to target folks that he doesn’t like. If they don’t leave on their own, he finds ways to get rid of them. We have lost so many great people because of our lack of leadership and how they go after people. When we think we can go up the chain and get help from Mock it just circles back to Motes and we get retaliated against for going around the chain. Even if we haven’t. It seems like they also tell the Co Mgr. what he wants to hear to keep their noses clean whether it’s the truth or not. Motes never has his AVL on which is a violation of policy. If any of us in the field did that we would be punished immediately, but he can do it without any issue. What is he hiding and why hasn’t anything been done to fix it? We don’t have a chief. We have office politicians. They don’t support us. They don’t help us. We don’t even know if half the time Motes is even working. His office is at the EOC and yet he is never there, but his vehicle also isn’t at admin. Do we need to discuss the mold infested stations or has that already been covered enough? How long do we need to endure these conditions before enough is enough? How is this acceptable by any standards? At the end of the day, we need new leadership. Not the continued empty promises of the poisonous snakes we currently have. They’re both eligible to retire. Let them. We need leadership that cares about our wellbeing and listens to our voices and not the kind that will listen, act like they care and then stab you in the back on your way out the door. This has gone on for far too long and it needs to change.

• More communication never can be enough. Who is on support team

• The chiefs for this department treat it like it’s their own little club. Unless you are one of their favorites then you are treated as a number and not an employee. The personal aspects should be left out and they should concentrate on being fair. Rumor has it that Chief (name redacted) is one of the chief’s relatives and it’s pretty obvious the favoritism she receives.

• The targeting, favoritism, harassment and lack of respect from administration is blatant. Administration is not held responsible for their actions. Inconsistency in discipline due to favoritism (example: Capt. (name redacted) Telestaff incident / (name redacted) decision with 13yo that died after stabbing) no discipline? Scratch a truck backing it up and they go for extreme punishment.

• Chiefs 1, 2, and 3 need to go. This department will never change until they are gone. This department will always be the laughingstock of northeast Florida.

• Plans for future fire stations, with details.

• What is the vision for the future of the fire department and timeline, stations, personnel, growth, etc.

• Needs to be a vote of no confidence on Chiefs 1, 2, and 3. The mismanagement of this department in preparing it for the massive growth coming along with the First Coast Expressway is not safe for us or the citizens. The fact Chief 1 hasn’t been Chief 1 for years because he would rather play county manager or politician is a spit in the face to everyone in the department. Let’s also not forget the massive mold debacle of stations 13, 15, 17, and 23 and the fact there are still AC problems in multiple stations. Time for fresh leadership and leadership with a vision for growth!!

• Keep up the good work.

• Have the next in line Fire Chief survey his employees or clean house...Maybe try and find a way to get input from upper ranking members that won’t speak due to retaliation...yes, we know that’s what happens and why many stay silent!!

• I have worked here for 12 years, and I have never been so unhappy with the role administration in my career affecting my mental/physical health.

• Admin chiefs don’t appear to communicate with each other as well to station level employees. Try to eliminate unnecessary call volume (nursing homes, clay electric/utility calls) Mandatory OT issues 24/72 schedule!!!!

• At what point do administrative chiefs receive disciplinary action for not doing their job? Logistics is a complete mess as we have to beg, borrow and steal supplies from other units or hospitals but yet there is no accountability for them. If we don’t do our job, we are held to a standard and investigated and mostly recommend for termination (Boree) so at what point does something happen to them? There are plenty of emails and evidence that they fail to do their jobs and yet they cover for each other. Just pull emails sent from Lt. (name redacted) about logistics and calling out Chiefs not doing their reports for days, but we get called when they aren’t done in hours. Double standards, lack of communication from top down (because everything seems to be a secret), discipline seems to change based on whether they like you or not, not held to same standards across the board whether street or administration.... This all creates frustration, lack of confidence in our administration, stress, and low morale. We need change and that starts from the top.

• Thanks for all you guys do and the time you invest for the members.

• I just want to address some things I’ve seen lately, and it drives me crazy, and I’ve been guilty of it too, but one day I said enough is enough I need to start helping make a change. This issue I’m bringing up was a part of my decline in mental health because several times I heard from others of how I failed to do something as expected, yet that leader never made the expectations clear, or followed up to correct issues. This is a long one, I’m sorry but I hope you all read most of it. Maybe this will change one day with others. To the Officers and Engineers, if you’re crew isn’t meeting your expectations whether normal crew or not, don’t hint around about what’s wrong or go talk trash to others about them. Instead let’s be transparent, open and honest so that person knows where they need to hustle up and fix the issue. Too many people (Officers and Engineers too) in our dept complain about someone lacking in an area but never seem to want to lend a hand to mentor and fix the issue. This is supposed to be the “best Damn job in the world”, and it always will be. But many of us make others miserable by our lack of mentoring the ones who might just need a little tune up or checking on to make sure something isn’t hindering them from giving 100%. Many of us love this career and take our jobs serious so let’s make it a better place by being open and honest, and compassionate about making sure our less senior members are on track with how things are supposed to be done on calls and back at the station.

• I’ve never experienced such a lack of respect and communication from top management as I have working here. And the favoritism towards BC (name redacted) is inappropriate and obvious.

• Command Counseling has been awesome and beneficial to my family. I think management is doing a lot better than they used to. There seems to be little accountability for Logistics, and they don’t communicate with us at all.

• Ronnie is the superstar of this union. It seems like he does EVERYTHING. Whatever it takes, we need his leadership to steer this ship. We do what it takes to keep him as VP or Pres. The rest of the board is invisible.

• Leroy is the largest problem with every aspect of logistics.

• We need to look into medical cannabis like other departments .... Rumors of town of op.

• I appreciate the initiative and hard work the E board is putting in for our mental health!

• Doctor’s notes can be asked to see if sick leave is being abused, without violating HIPAA I believe, but why do that if when it’s a family member, it’s looked over since it’s basically impossible. Why can a captain that took advantage of access to Telestaff to make more money/take engine spots for OT still be able to act as TR603. Why are step up engineers taking most of the discipline in a backing incident and the officer in charge doesn’t see any reprimand. How is it okay to let an obviously below par paramedic with obvious lack of skills or knowledge be able to still act as an officer with no remedial training. Why does chief Boree not see a problem with how he micromanages and how it kills morale. Why are people that can’t pump an engine still able to step up or promote without any extra training. Why is training basically nonexistent in fire and EMS aside from what LT. Ingram has done. Do the chiefs believe nothing is wrong and that they are doing a great job (communicating their side of things would be nice). Why do we have an engine with no 5-inch due to a weight limit that is already exceeded based on design and why did a crew on that engine get in trouble for not laying a supply line when the tender was in front of them at the fire (shouldn’t the tender be able to move for dump tank operation or shuttle?) Why was it okay for the first in rescue to see the burned victim and continue to fight fire while the victim waited for the next rescue to come. Why are chiefs holding us to a higher standard than themselves and reprimanding others on policy violations that they do not follow? Who do they answer to when they violate policy? If the admin chiefs see no improvement in their crews, why do they keep making the same choices expecting a different outcome (constant write ups instead of training). Why are the sheriff’s office boats at 15 in an air-conditioned trailer under the awning while the woods truck goes in for repairs to sit in the sun all day? Why is “good copy” not accepted for radio traffic for one individual yet no one else sees consequences (or at least threats of write ups). How is that even fair if the sheriff’s office says it every other word on the radio? When will we get solid answers from the chiefs and when will they really show they care about our opinions?

• You guys do a great job, I don’t envy you, it takes time & patience that I don’t have.

• We need more stations, more personnel, more trucks, and/or more pay. Would also be nice to look at the possibility of transitioning to a 24/72 work schedule. It seems as though we are getting busier by the day. And with departments like Gainesville going to 24/72’s, Jacksonville potentially switching to FRS and St. John’s paying sign on bonuses if we want to retain quality employees and stay competitive, we need something to make our department stand out.

• I would like the union to look into the 24/72 schedules.

• Rescue 20

• I would not say “our schedule” is a stressor. But I do think going to a 24/72 shift schedule will help relieve stress and allow for better body recovery.

• This seems to be an unfair workplace for some but obvious that others are favored.

• Let just bypass all the BS and go straight to the problem Motes and Boree Motes doesn’t give a damn about his firefighters or their families. His recent comments and attitude towards mandatory ot for single parents is evidence enough to say that. And in the real world, evidence enough to remove him from his position based on his lack of give a damn for the people under him. Total failed leadership. Not to mention his blatant favoritism, (name redacted) is a prime example of that. Hell (name redacted) comes to work bragging about the pull he has with motes, and tells everyone absolutely it, like we’re supposed to be scared of him. And as for Boree. That’s a given. How in the hell departments all around Clay are getting rid of toxic chiefs left and right through their unions and we can’t? Fix the problem 3362. You all know what the issue is. Fix it and you fix morale.

• I strongly believe that there is a definitive disconnect between admin and the street level.

• Chiefs have become “Bullies”, micro-managing, there is blatant favoritism and also unfair treatment, targeting, harassment and lack of communication. These issues cause a decline in morale and an increase in stress.

• There is a huge disconnect between chiefs 1-2-3 As far as how things are going, what’s being done little alone disseminated down to the stations.

• Captains should have more say on transfers and things that involve their station or crews.

• I appreciate the ability to utilize command counseling services for my family. I feel that it has significantly helped. Secondly, I hope we as a union are still working towards establishing guidelines to make marijuana use acceptable. While it is not the best way to cope with stress it certainly outweighs others in terms of overall health. Thank you for your time.

• The biggest source of stress at work comes from Administration. The lack of communication about most things leaves me wondering what is going on. (Except for new or updated SOPs and other things that I can get into trouble for). This leads to rampant rumors which cause confusion. When information is communicated, different information is given by each Chief and often contradicts previous information. Also, the constant transfer of personnel without any reason given causes constant stress of getting to know new crew and Officers. It also causes stress from wondering if someone did something wrong. Obvious favoritism when it comes to punishment, treatment and assignments is another cause of stress. Lastly, the constant fear of getting transferred to a Rescue or busy Rescue after making a mistake or disagreeing with Admin or angering them in some way causes additional stress. Not to mention the completely transparent lie that “Rescue is not a punishment”.

• I feel like we go through phases of communication through the union. Sometimes it gets trickled down, sometimes not. Management sucks, management blatantly takes advantage of us and claims it’s operational necessity. As a union there has to be some sort of fight against this. Clay would be a great place to work if we got new management which I know is a whole job to fix but just saying. As a union I think we are strong I would just like more consistency on communication. I can’t remember the last time my steward for station 25 reached out or anyone from the e board.

• Administration needs to quit living in a vacuum. Keep the rank and file updated with anticipated station builds, new hire classes, fleet replacement, anything! Get out of the office once in a while and go talk to the crews on the street. Come have a cup of coffee and actually lead from the front and show you care about us instead of acting like it. Bring the County Commissioners out so they can see and hear for themselves what our days are like. Stop micromanaging. Trust your BC’s and officers to get the job done. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it!

• We need an office person to be the liaison between the administration and the union. We are getting too big to take work our shifts and handle union stuff. Things are getting dropped through the cracks.

• Stewards should be coming by the stations occasionally, across all shifts. Never seen mine. Proud to be a part of Local 3362 and grateful for our E-board and other members who continue to make our union and department stronger as a whole.

• Having adequate pay to support myself and my family. Having sufficient resources on the job to reduce demand on myself and my crew and subsequent fatigue.

• Get rid of chief 1 2 and 3 so we can actually better this department.

• Keep up the strong work!

• My deep disappointment and concern about the state of leadership within the Clay County Fire Rescue Department. The morale is at an all-time low, and the inconsistency in discipline and accountability, as well as the blatant favoritism, are harming our department. The actions and attitudes of Chief David Motes, Chief Jason Boree, and Chief Charley Leroy are at the heart of these problems.

Morale and Leadership Failures

Under the current leadership, the morale within our department has plummeted. The inconsistency in discipline and accountability, where rules are applied differently depending on personal relationships, has created a toxic work environment. Those who are close friends with certain leaders, like Jason Boree, are protected from consequences for serious policy violations. For example, manipulated the staffing system for personal gain and received only a letter of counseling because of his close relationship with Jason Boree and the investigating battalion chief related to chief Boree. Such things undermine the trust of our department and demoralize those who uphold their duties.

Favoritism and Incompetence

The favoritism shown by our leadership is not just a breach of professional ethics; it is a direct attack on the principles of fairness and justice that are supposed to guide our department. Deputy Chief Charley Leroy, despite his repeated failures, such as neglecting to order crucial equipment for new apparatus, faces no repercussions. In stark contrast, rank-and-file are severely penalized for minor infractions like calling out sick. This double standard is not only unfair but also demoralizing.

Impact on Mental Health

The mental health impact of this poor leadership cannot be overstated. We often talk about PTSD and other stress- related conditions caused by incidents beyond our control. However, much of our stress is caused by the actions within our own department: the vindictiveness, discrimination, favoritism, and exclusion perpetuated by our leaders. Chief Motes’ recent statement on a mental health podcast, claiming that a vote of no confidence was narrowly avoided only because of the introduction of command counseling, is proof of admission of the major leadership failures. In reality, a vote should have taken place long ago.

Mental Health and Poor Leadership

There’s really little focus on the mental health effects of poor leadership. We tend to talk a lot about PTSD because we can blame that on an incident beyond our control, but we don’t talk about the root of the majority of stress that causes us issues: vindictiveness, discrimination, favoritism, and exclusion. When leaders intentionally prevent you from contributing, it creates a mental torture for dedicated employees.

We want to do our jobs, contribute, and make a difference. However, the enthusiasm, professionalism, and competence of dedicated employees are seen as threats to those who are complacent, selfish, or incompetent. Because of this, good employees come under attack and are pulled back down by those who feel exposed.

Call for Accountability

Chief David Motes and Chief Jason Boree, through their actions and lies, have not only failed as leaders but have also actively harmed the careers and well-being of many individuals within this department. Their incompetence and unethical behavior are cancers to our organization. The comment made by Motes, “We are not trying to Jew you,” and the lack of punishment that followed, is proof of the deeply rooted problems.

It is time for a thorough and impartial review of the leadership within Clay County Fire Rescue. Those who have abused their positions of power must be held accountable. The department deserves leaders who are committed to fairness, transparency, and the well-being of everyone, not managers we need Leaders! Not micromanagers.

We are here to serve and protect our community. To do so to the fullest, we need leaders who inspire confidence, respect, and dedication. It is my opinion that Chief Motes and Chief Boree should seek employment elsewhere, as their continued presence only serves to undermine the values and mission of Clay County Fire Rescue.

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Fair food is an adult’s wonderland. Whatever you like, it will be made better deep-fried. As a child, it was the dream of cotton candy and candy apples. As a grown-up, it is a more complex palate… or is it?

Let’s start with this “new to me” item. Tanghulu is a traditional Chinese street snack of skewered fruits coated in a hard, crunchy sugar glaze. The vendor made this look appetizing by displaying skewered fruits that weren’t even what they were serving.

I was excited to get some tropical fruits, but they only offered strawberries, grapes, or the combo of both. This is pretty much a different version of the candy apple. I only ordered it for my daughters because it was almost $13 each.

My 12-year-old, who doesn’t like candy to begin with, said it was good, but too sweet. I enjoyed the rest of what she didn’t eat. I thought it was the perfect amount of sugar coating, given the ratio of small fruits.

My 14-year-old loved hers, but would have liked other fruit options as well. Overall, I think this was a pretty good snack choice. I just wish the price were lower.

Next up came the Fried Pickles. This is a family favorite of ours anywhere we go. These were $10. We had a decent amount for the price. My only complaint was that there was no ranch served alongside these, nor any in a bottle to self-serve. The breading was a tad on the spicy side. Ranch would have made it even better. The pickles were perfectly sliced, not too thick.

I was really torn on what to have for dinner. There are so many delicious choices at the fair. I was in line for tacos when I turned around, and my eyes saw the words “Loaded Grilled Cheese”. More delicious choices to be made at Sattler’s. I ended up with their Grilled PB&J! I was so good.

If you have never made a grilled PB&J at home, you need to try it. It will change your life! I should have tried one of their grilled cheese sandwiches, too. I paid $10 for this. It should have come with a bag of chips on the side for that price.

On a more disappointing note, I had one of the worst donuts of my life. As you recall from my previous reviews, I KNOW DONUTS! I was tricked by Fluffy’s bright colors and pretty-looking donuts on display. I tried the maple bacon. It was the heaviest, densest donut I have ever tasted. The icing was lacking in the main flavor - Maple!

Yes, I have had the famous Peachey’s Amish donut previously. I thought about getting one this year. They had a coconut cream donut advertised, and I regret not getting it. Life lesson: Don’t let the pretty lights and bright colors influence your decisions!

The pizza on a stick was my 14-year-old’s main reason for going to the fair. “It is Yummy!” “Similar to a corn dog”, she warns, “You have to be careful biting around the stick.” It looks plain from the outside. Inside, it is filled with cheese, marinara sauce, and more pepperoni.

Again with the prices, I don’t know that $15 is worth it. I did make my daughter happy, though! Her other choice was the famous Fried Oreos. This was the best deal of the day - 5 Oreos for $7!

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I haven’t had these in a very long time. They were definitely better than the aforementioned donut. I feel like they needed more Oreo flavor somehow. Maybe use double-stuffed? They had more funnel cake flavor than Oreo.

Now for the Grand Finale of my night out. I have always wanted to try the cinnamon rolls. This made up for my disappointing donut decision. I had the Apple Caramel Cinnamon Roll with Icing.

I asked the lady if it was cream cheese icing, and she said yes. However, it only had the sweet vanilla icing flavor. I don't think I'll get the apples next time.

They were diced very small so you would get a good amount to create the perfect bite. Sometimes you just need the O.G. to quench your craving. It was too big to eat in one sitting.

Especially after all of the other treats I indulged in during the day. It was even enjoyable warmed up the following morning with my coffee for breakfast!

I hope you were able to get out to the fair and indulge in your own favorite fair treats. If not, maybe reading this helped fill that void.

As always, check out what other Clay County folks are dining on around town on Facebook at What Clay REALLY Eats!

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In one of the strangest elections in recent memory, the Green Cove Springs establishment was roundly rebuked today, as an 84-year-old retiree walloped two-term City Councilor Ed Gaw.

Tom Centracchio won Council Seat 1 with 556 votes against 322 for Gaw. In terms of percentages, that’s 63 to 34 percent of 892 votes cast. In the context of today’s micro-elections, Centracchio’s victory could be considered a micro-landslide.

In Orange Park, Councilor Doug Benefield held off a challenge by Chuck Linholm, garnering 394 votes to Lindholm’s 352.

Only 12 percent of the electorate in the two municipalities participated. Together, Orange Park and Green Cove have 14,221 voters, according to the Clay County Supervisor of Elections, which provided all the results quoted in this story.

Centracchio, who served in the U.S. Marines as a young man, campaigned as a fiscal conservative, promising to keep tax increases, fees, and utility bills in check.

As of last night, Gaw had not telephoned Centracchio to concede the race.

Gaw Kicked To The Curb By Centracchio

Things began getting weird in Green Cove when Gaw, co-founder of the popular Food Truck Friday, event based his lawn sign campaign on the implied threat that if he lost the race, the city would lose Food Truck Friday. That brought attention to the fact that Gaw had voted to support the event with city funds, even though he owned the event as a business.

This caused a kerfuffle with Gaw claiming that an “ethics complaint” had been filed against him. Gaw’s partner in Food Truck Friday, former Councilor Van Royal, then accused Centracchio of filing the complaint. The partners then cancelled the April Food Truck Friday, that was to have happened 11 days before the election.

Centracchio spent the rest of the campaign denying he had filed an ethics complaint, but he agreed with critics that Gaw should have recused himself from voting on any measure that affected his event business. State officials, meanwhile, said no complaint had been filed.

In the midst of this, Ed Gaw’s brother Dan interjected himself in the election, saying his brother was not fit to serve because he had once stolen Dan Gaw’s identity. Dan Gaw said Ed Gaw had forged Dan Gaw’s renewal papers for a notary public license, which is a felony in Florida.

Ed Gaw’s campaign attributed his brother’s motivation to a family feud, impuigning his motivation but never addressing the underlying accusation.

Then, in a truly strange maneuver, Red’s Wine Bar hosted hip-hop comedian Afroman for three shows on Sunday. The Wine Bar is another Gaw-Royal enterprise, and the Ohio entertainer was on a victory lap after beating a group of police officers in court. The cops had sued him over a music video of Afroman’s hit “Lemon Pound Cake.” The song mocked a mistaken police raid on Afroman’s home.

Gaw was supported by several prominent local businesspeople and former city leaders.

While he was in town, Afroman was videotaped endorsing Gaw for council. Alas, there was no Afroman bump for the Gaw campaign.

Benefield Edges Out Lindholm

In Orange Park, incumbent Doug Benefield defeated a challenge from political newcomer Chuck Lindholm.

A slim margin of 46 votes separated the candidates, and in the end, the questions about a rental property foreclosure and the bad press from a sign theft were too much for Lindholm to overcome.

In all likelihood, Benefield’s victory means the status quo management of the Town of Orange Park’s budget will continue in the near future. High taxes, growing debt, and projects dictated from on high by Rob Bradley and Sam Garrison will continue to dominate the Town Council's time and attention.

But Wait, There’s More…

Along the way, all four candidates or their supporters accused Clay News & Views of bias and secretly campaigning for the other guy whenever we report on something dumb their favorite candidate did.

We wear this as a badge of honor because our duty is to report on newsworthy developments in campaigns, regardless of how they make any particular candidate look.

In other news, there were three initiatives on the ballot for voters in Green Cove Springs to decide:

The voters decided to allow Notaries to administer oaths of office, while declining to allow the City Manager and City Attorney to live outside the city limits.

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